One of Those Days
by myownmind
Summary: A cross between Emergency, CHiPs and Supernatural. While on a rescue, Johnny, Roy, Jon Baker and Bruce Nelson come across a strange man who insists he doesn't need help. Supernatural events ensue.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfiction. I can continue the story if anyone is interested. I all ready have nine pages done. It just wouldn't leave me alone. I've taken some liberties with the character of Roy DeSoto. He's not married in this story or maybe he's divorced, I haven't decided yet.

The characters from Emergency, CHiPs and Supernatural are not mine. They are the property of the original writers and the studios involved. I simply borrow them on occasion.

I've dragged Emergency and CHiPs characters into the twenty first century. Hopefully they're believable.

**ONE OF THOSE DAYS**

The shift was passing quickly. Station 51 had been busier than usual because of the Santa Anna winds blowing over the tinder dry hills. There hadn't been any rain in a month. Further exasperating the situation, Roy DeSoto had a pounding headache that just wouldn't go away.

"Did you take anything?" Johnny Gage asked. He'd happened to notice his partner blinking and squinting against the bright sunlight.

"Yeah," was all Roy would say. They were speeding to their fourth call of the afternoon. A hiker had fallen off of Mulholland Drive. _Who is stupid enough to hike there?_ Roy thought to himself_. It's pr__obably a tourist._

"It hasn't helped?" Johnny asked. Traffic was heavy. Roy had to weave around vehicles that stopped in the middle of the street, stunned by the siren and lights.

"No."

"Can you take any more?" He was concerned for his partner. Fireman/paramedic Roy DeSoto hadn't missed a day of work due to illness in probably 2 years. He just didn't get sick.

"Not if I want to do my job," Roy replied. He was trying desperately to keep his temper with his partner. After all, it wasn't his fault.

"Couldn't you get someone to cover for you?"

"No." He didn't feel up to going through the list of paramedics that were unavailable. He'd called every one of them himself.

"Okay, take a right. We're almost there."

XXXXX

Two CHP motors were sitting along the barriers at the top of a steep cliff. Both of the officers were standing at the broken barrier, looking down.

"We're going to need ropes," Roy stated as he pulled up as close to the cliff as he safely could.

"Hopefully we have enough on board," Johnny replied before he sprang out of the squad.

"He's about a hundred feet down," the older of the two officers informed them as they approached. Roy had dealt with the officers before and knew them by name. Jon Baker had been an officer for several years. By now he should have moved up the professional ladder but he preferred to stay on the streets. His partner Bruce Nelson had only been in the CHP for two years, still a relative rookie.

"How bad is he, Jon?" Roy asked. Not wanting to join the victim before he was ready, Roy cautiously looked over the edge. A wave of vertigo made him step back. Bile threatened and he had to swallow quickly to keep from emptying his stomach. The elder paramedic hoped it was a momentary lapse and would disappear once they got busy with the rescue.

"Don't know. He hasn't moved since we found him. Are you all right?" The experienced CHP officer had noticed how pale the paramedic had suddenly become.

"Yeah," Roy replied. Turning back to the truck, he helped Johnny pull the necessary supplies out of the various doors. He was scared. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this bad. If he'd had any other option, he would pull himself off this rescue. But, he couldn't leave Johnny to do it alone.

Quickly, they had two ropes secured to the squad's bumper and used them to repel down the unstable slope. Within a few feet, Roy was all ready losing strength, the rope slipping between his gloved figures. _Damn it_, he thought as he struggled to keep from falling. It was the last thing they needed at the moment.

After what felt like an eternity to the older paramedic, they reached the unconscious man. He was perched rather precariously on a narrow ledge. His black leather jacket and blue jeans were ripped in various spots, a testimony to his trip to the ledge. He was laying face down, his right arm under his body, his left one out beside him. A superficial inspection indicated that both of his legs were unbroken.

"Let's check his neck before we roll him over," Roy suggested. He was sweaty from the climb down and a bit shaky in the knees. Quickly, he kneeled down beside the man's head to perform the exam and to prevent his partner from seeing his degree of difficulty.

"I'll check for broken bones," Johnny replied. Carefully, he ran his hands over the man's legs, torso, and left arm. Thankfully there were no obvious breaks.

"Ready?" Roy asked. When he received a nod from Johnny, they each grabbed a limb and prepared to roll their charge. "On three. One, two, three."

XXXXX

The man was young, probably twenty six or seven. He had dark blond hair, cut short. When Roy opened his eye to check his pupillilary responses, he found that they were blue.

"Did you find anything?" Johnny asked. For the life of him he couldn't find anything but superficial cuts and bruises.

"No, I haven't his pupils equal and reactive. There is no obvious sign of head trauma, so why's he unconscious?" Roy replied. At that moment, the young man came awake with a jerk. He sat upright and began to scuttle away from the two paramedics.

"Hold on there," Johnny said catching hold of the man's nearest arm. If he was allowed to continue, the man would back right off the ledge. "We're here to help."

"I don't need your help," the man growled, as he tried to dislodge Roy and Johnny's grips on him.

"We'll let go if you stop moving. We're on a ledge on a cliff. If you go any farther, you'll fall off," Johnny explained, trying to calm their patient. For his part, Roy was just trying to hold on and not go over the edge himself.

For the first time, the young man looked around. As the situation became apparent, he stopped struggling and sat perfectly still. "Where the hell am I?" he asked.

"That's Mulholland Drive," Johnny informed him. He let go of the patient and pointed above them. Roy settled back on his haunches and studiously kept from looking down. The headache was still pounding but at least the vertigo went away when he looked at his two ledge mates.

"We need to get you back up top. Do you know how to mountain climb?" he asked.

"Yeah, but that's not the direction I want to go in," their patient stated. He was trying to get to his feet. Each paramedic grabbed hold and kept him down.

"Up's your only choice," Johnny stated.

"Are you both anchored?" the young man asked. He'd gone suddenly still. If Roy wasn't feeling so badly, he would have known to be wary.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Before Johnny had completed his question, the young man pulled them toward each other. Surprised, their grip loosened on his arms as they frantically tried to keep from smashing into each other. In a heartbeat the patient had gained his feet and was running hell bent along the narrow ledge as it wound its way across the cliff face.

"What the hell?" Johnny was on his feet trying to catch up in moments. Roy, his head spinning drunkenly, was much slower to recover. He was forced to close his eyes as he stood up, using the cliff wall as a guide. Still reeling, Roy opened his eyes, intent on following his partner when Jon landed beside him.

"Bruce is staying here with you, I'm going after Johnny," the older of the two CHP officers stated. He slipped the rope out of his harness and took off after Johnny and the patient. Licking dry lips, Roy closed his eyes and rested his forehead against a cool rock poking out of the cliff. It helped a bit.

XXXXX

The man was crazy. Of this Johnny was becoming convinced as he followed him. He had no apparent concern for his own personal safety as he careened down the cliff face. Loose stones scattered in his path but the patient never slowed down.

They were entering the tree line. The cliff was no long at a 50 degree angle, it had become less steep the further they travelled. It was also becoming less inhabited.

Someone pounded up behind him. Johnny assumed it was Roy. He was surprised, therefore, to find Jon quickly shortening the distance between them. If he hadn't been so out of breath, he would have asked about his partner. As it was it was all he could do to try to catch up with the crazed patient.

XXXXX

After what felt like an eternity of rock, dirt and tree roots, Johnny finally managed to tackle his query. In a jumble of limbs, the two men tumbled down the gentle slope and came to rest in a line of shrubs. "Stop running!" Johnny shouted as he extracted himself from the pile.

"I need to find my brother!" the man shouted, panting despite his best efforts not to. He struggled against Johnny's restraining hands.

"Is that what this is all about?" Jon demanded as he came up, also breathing heavy. "You could have told us that to begin with and prevented this whole jog."

"Where is he?" Johnny asked once he caught his breath enough to speak. The young man was frantic, still trying to scramble away from him. "Hold still."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the man shot back. Dean Winchester was trying desperately to not injure the paramedic. He knew they thought they were helping but he needed to ditch the two men and get searching.

"Try me," Johnny responded. Between him and Jon, they hauled the young man to his feet and forced him to face them. There was something battle-hardened about the man that set Johnny's nerves on edge. Instantly, he was more wary and took a step back.

"What the hell," Dean said. He dropped his shoulders as if in defeat. Just as the men seemed to settle in for his story, he lashed out. Johnny got a round-house hit to his forehead. He dropped like a stone, stunned. Not stopping to see the results of his work, Dean sent a leg arching toward the CHP officer's knee in an attempt to incapacitate him.

Casually, Jon stepped back, out of range and pushed the man to the ground as he slipped on the gravel. His gun came out. "Tell us where your brother is."

Johnny carefully came to his feet and stood to the side while he watched the stand between the two men, he examined the large bump that was swelling up from where he'd been struck. Then he brushed absently at the grass and dirt that had accumulated on his blue uniform pants.

Defeated for the moment, Dean rolled over onto his bank and cautiously sat up. "We were looking into a case," he began. He was only going to say as much as he had to, otherwise they'd probably lock him up in a loony bin. Worry for his younger brother Sam made standing still nearly impossible.

"We'd followed the leads to this area. While we were searching last night we got separated."

"What are you, private detectives? And why were you searching at night?" Jon asked. There were holes in his story but he wasn't sure if he was lying or holding back.

"Ah," Dean hedged. "We're not P.I.'s and we didn't want the lead to go cold, dude."

"Wandering around in the dark around here is not a good idea." Johnny was marginally distracted, he was wondering where Roy was.

"Yeah, we knew that. We didn't have a choice."

"Do you have any ID and where was the last place you saw your brother?"Jon asked. He kept his service revolver trained on the man, just in case. "What's your name?"

"Ah," Dean was beginning to back pedal again. He needed to get away from these people. Sam was in the hands of the demon they were hunting. He needed to leave.

His patience evaporating, Jon pulled handcuffs out of his gun belt and moved to put them on Dean. Tensing, Dean was preparing to fight when a pain filled scream pierced the air.

"Sam!" Instantly, Dean was on his feet, pounding down the wooded slope in the direction of the voice. Jon made as if to follow but Johnny caught his arm as he flew past.

"Where's Roy?"

"He's back up the cliff with Bruce. He isn't feeling well. You go check on him and call for backup. I'm going to see what's going on." Jon paused long enough to see Johnny nod his head then he was gone, running after the patient.

Gritting his teeth, Johnny headed back the way he'd come. Concern for his partner quickened his steps as he scrambled up the trail. The trees came in handy to pull him along. "Damn, damn, damn," he muttered under his breath.

The sun was getting lower, making the shadows longer and deeper. When he reached the area he figured Roy and Bruce should be Johnny stopped dead. The only evidence of their having been there was the smashed biophone and a few sprinklings of something that looked suspiciously like blood. He glanced up the cliff face in search of the ropes he and Roy had repelled down on. They'd been cut three feet beyond his reach. Now he had no way of reaching help. "Damn, damn, damn," he swore under his breath feeling panic threatening to take over.

Desperate, the young paramedic spent a few frustrating minutes trying to reach the ropes. Finally, though, he had to admit defeat. He paused, looking across the valley to catch his breath. They really were out in the middle of nowhere. The station probably wouldn't look for them for another two hours. They were on their own until then.

He searched the immediate area for clues as to where Roy and Bruce went. Finding none, he headed back down the cliff to help Jon. At least he hoped he could find him. The day definitely didn't look to improve any time soon.

XXXXX

The fugitive was fast and motivated; Jon had to give him that as he tore through the dense underbrush and trees after him. Another scream filled the air somewhere ahead of them. It was all Jon could do to keep from snagging his feet as he pounded after Dean. The darkness that was descending wasn't helping either.

"Sam!" Dean called out. Ahead in the gloom, he thought he could make out a cave or some other structure. Since there was no other obvious shelter anywhere near, he headed for it. Another scream and Dean barely managed to keep himself from plunging blindly through the entrance to follow the voice. Ignoring the CHP officer coming up behind him, Dean paused at the side of the entryway to pull a flashlight and handgun out of his leather jacket. The flashlight switched on and in his left hand, the gun in his right, he slipped into the darkness.

Not entirely convinced that the man was sane, Jon could not deny the pain riddled screams. Pulling his service revolver out of its holster, he followed the younger man into the mine. "Hold up," he whispered loud enough for the man to hear him.

Irritated, Dean glanced over his shoulder at the officer before continuing to edge down the corridor. The mine had been unused for a long time but suspiciously there were no cobwebs or other signs of disuse. "Hey!" Jon managed to catch hold of his shoulder and spin him around. "I'm not going to stop you. I just need to know who to call to and what your plan is."

"I don't have a plan," Dean hissed, shaking the officer's hand off. "My name's Dean, my brother's Sam."

"Jon. Let's go find Sam."

XXXXX

"Baker!" Johnny was standing at the last place he'd seen the officer but there was no obvious sign of him. The darkness was nearly complete. He had trouble seeing more than a few feet in front of him. Out of his shirt pocket, he brought out the pen light he used to check patient's pupils. Holding it at shoulder height he began a systematic search. Before five minutes had passed he was hot on their trail.

Somewhere above him, the young paramedic thought he could hear the occasional vehicle pass by. There were also the sounds of the woods, birds, creaking branches, small creatures rustling around in the underbrush but otherwise there was no sound of civilization. Johnny found it vaguely disconcerting. It had been a long time since he'd been out of the city.

It took longer than he would have liked to locate the mine entrance. All the while there had been no indication of the other men, even the screams had subsided. His pen light was not as effective as he'd hoped as he sidled into the mine entrance. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he made his way along the main shaft. It was eerily quiet except for the occasional water drops in the distance. Lesser shafts branched off from the one he was following but each of them appeared to dead end or decrease in size beyond his ability to safely follow. It smelled of damp earth, stagnant water and droppings of some kind. Johnny wasn't sure he wanted to find out what animals would populate such a dark, damp location but he had to find Jon if he had any hope of locating Roy. Fear for his partner spurred him forward beyond the distance he felt safe.

A scream ripped through the shaft from somewhere ahead, freezing the paramedic in his tracks. The voice that had been in such deep pain had come from Roy. Suddenly, Johnny was sprinting down the shaft, desperate to reach his friend and co-worker. In the dark, he turned his ankle twice on unseen rocks. Rolling back to his feet, he continued closing the distance until he stumbled into a large chamber.

The shaft opened up to create a cavern. Large rocks dotted the area and a fire burned in a central pit. Feeling very exposed, Johnny scrambled over to the nearest boulder and crouched behind it to survey the rest of his surroundings. Off to his right Johnny spotted their patient and Jon huddled on the dirt floor. Both men were bound and gagged and appeared unconscious. Peering around the boulder to his left, the young paramedic spotted a young man sprawled on the ground. His hands were bound behind his back but otherwise he seemed unfettered. He also appeared to be unconscious, lying on his stomach, and his head turned away.

Something moved. Going perfectly still, Johnny waited, barely daring to breath. In the darkness beyond the fire, a white face floated toward the trio. Moments later, the face became more substantial as the dark body attached to it came into view. In its arms it carried a bundle. Johnny strained to see what was inside but all he could discern was dark blue pants and blond hair. That was all he needed to know to identify his partner. The white faced figure put his burden on the ground. As Johnny watched, Roy didn't move.

Anger and fear burned in the pit of his stomach. Throwing caution to the wind, Johnny began to pace around the boulder, intent on helping his friend. The figure leaned over Roy's unconscious body; white skeletal hands snaked out of the sleeves of his robe and came to rest on either side of Roy's head. Almost instantly, a scream was ripped from the older man and he struggled weakly to dislodge his attacker. Yet, he did not appear to be conscious.

As he covered the distance, Johnny became aware that the figure was chanting in a low voice, words that he didn't recognize. He did, however, recognize a rite when he saw one. Still writhing in agony, Roy continued to scream. The figure appeared to be losing substance Johnny could see objects through its body. Roy's face, contorted with pain, was white.

"Leave him alone!" Johnny shouted as he jumped forward to tackle the figure. It felt like he passed through a freezer then he collided with Roy, sending them both tumbling.

The figure rose and descended on Johnny as he tried to scramble to his feet. The deep cold that emanated from the creature was enough to cause Johnny's breath to frost. The young paramedic managed to scramble to his feet and face their attacker. All of his instincts were telling him to run while he still could but he wouldn't leave his partner to be further ravaged. At his feet Roy was sprawled like a rag doll, his face as white as a sheet and sweaty.

Anger boiled through him as Johnny watched the phantom drift toward him. Now that it wasn't feeding on Roy, it had taken on more of a solid appearance. Before it had completely covered the distance between them, Johnny struck out at its head. His fist connected solidly, temporarily stunning it while his first went completely numb. Johnny was desperately trying to come up with a new way to fight when the phantom turned and raced into the entrance at the back of the cave.

"Roy!" Instantly Johnny's attention turned to his partner. The older paramedic was cold to the touch and clammy. His pulse was rapid and shallow as was his respiration. Quickly, Johnny stripped off his jacket and put it over his friend before moving to check on the others.

His scissors made quick work of the rope that bound the tall young man lying a short distance away. Johnny could only assume that this must be the brother. Carefully he rolled the man onto his back so he could get a better look at his condition. There were bloody marks on either side of the boy's face like he'd been gripped on either side of the head. Just like Roy. Reaching into his pocket, Johnny pulled out his flashlight to check the boy's pupils. He pulled the right eyelid open and prepared to flash his pen light into it. The younger man's dark grey eye flashed red. Startled, Johnny jerked back nearly falling over in his haste. The boy seemed to be unconscious still but not sure of what else to do, Johnny tied him back up. Red eyes are never a good sign.

Satisfied that Sam was as secure as he was going to get at the moment, Johnny paced through the cave until he reached Dean, Jon and Bruce. Each had a bump that was swelling from where they were hit to render them unconscious but there were no other obvious injuries. Best of all, none of their eyes flashed when Johnny tested them with the flashlight.

As he was cutting Dean's bonds, the young man began to come around. Having already checked his eyes before releasing the man, Johnny sat back on his haunches and waited. The reaction was almost instantaneous. One moment Dean was groaning quietly, the next he was wide awake and trying to attain an upright position. "Where's Sam?" he demanded.

"Over there," Johnny replied, making a vague motion in the general direction. "But there's something not quite right about him." The last was said loudly because Dean was all ready headed off toward his brother.

"What do you mean?"Dean asked. He knelt down beside his brother, taking in the wounds with a glance. Fear settled into his stomach. Not waiting for the paramedic's answer, he quickly examined Sam.

"His eyes turned red," Johnny stated. The two CHP officers were okay so he went back to Roy. "We need to get them out of here."

Behind him, Johnny heard Dean swearing a blue streak. It he wasn't so concerned about his partner, he might have gone to find out why. Roy was unchanged from the last time he checked on him. His pulse and breathing were still rapid and shallow. Johnny desperately wished he had his kits with him so he could do something, anything for the older man.

A sound beside him caused Johnny to jump, and then he saw the tan uniforms of Bruce and Jon.

"What's going on?" Jon asked, absently rubbing the bump on his head. Bruce, looking a little stunned by it all, stood silently a few feet away. His blue eyes were trying to see every corner of the cavern at the same time.

"We need to get out of here. I don't know what that thing is but it hurt Roy. We need to get him to a hospital."

"A hospital's not going to help him or Sam," Dean growled from beside his brother.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny demanded. "He's in shock, he needs fluids and warmth."

"He's in shock, all right," Dean muttered to himself. He was getting tired of dealing with civilians. They just didn't have a clue of what happened in the real world. He didn't really expect the demon to come back, it had all ready done what it intended to but he did agree that they needed to get out of the cave. The supplies he was going to need were back on Mulholland Drive in the back of his '68 Impala.

By mutual consent the CHP officers helped Johnny and Dean carry Sam and Roy out of the cave. They were instantly warmer once they were out in the fresh air again. It felt like a weight had been lifted from Johnny's shoulders. If it wasn't for Roy's condition he'd be positively giddy.

It was very dark. Using the CHP officers' flashlights they slowly made their way back to the bank the paramedics had climbed down an hour or two before. By the time they'd stumbled through the undergrowth and reached the ledge all four men were tired and sweaty. Gently laying down their burdens, they paused to consider their next move.

"Boost me up," Bruce offered, being the smallest among them and therefore the lightest. "I'll be able to reach it and pull myself up."

"Here," Jon braced his back against the cliff wall, set his feet and made a cup out of his hands. In order for Bruce to reach them, though, he was forced to bend his knees for the shorter man. Once situated, Jon stood up, pushing Bruce up as he did.

"Got it!" Bruce said as Jon felt his weight leave his hands. "I'll climb up and call for help."

"It won't help," Dean said under his breath. The longer Sam stayed unconscious the better. He wanted to be set up before he came to. Glancing at the older paramedic in the erratic light of the flashlights, he knew that Roy was in the same position. Silently, he cursed himself for his ineptitude as he watched Bruce scale the cliff. He was supposed to take care of Sammy, not let him be possessed by demon spawn. The time it was taking to get out of here was driving him nuts.

After several minutes, Bruce finally reached the top of the cliff. He disappeared for a few minutes then one of the ropes was being pulled up.

"What's he doing?" Jon wondered out loud.

"We only carry the two ropes, he's probably tying them together so we can climb up too," Johnny suggested. He was crouching beside Roy, watching his vital signs for any changes. Damn, he wished the kid would hurry.

Several more minutes passed during which the second rope bounced and moved up but the beam from the CHP flashlight didn't reach to the top of the cliff. Finally the second rope bounced to the ground, two climbing harnesses attached to the end.

"Do you need the Stokes to get them up the cliff?" Jon asked, indicating Roy and Sam.

"That's what I'd like but we'd need more rope. Let's get this belt around Sam and we'll get Dean to walk him up," Johnny responded.

"Maybe we should send you and Roy up first," Jon stated. He cast a side-long glance at Dean, not trusting the man after his earlier escapades. "Roy seems to be in the worse shape."

Despite what the CHP officer was saying, Johnny caught his hidden meaning and had to agree with him. For his part, Dean seemed to be completely ignoring their conversation.

"Okay. We'll send the belts down again once we reach the top." As carefully as he could, Johnny got Roy into the belt before donning the other one himself. He sacrificed a section of the rope so that he could secure his partner to his back. Luckily, they were about the same height but Roy probably had a good twenty pounds on him.

With some help from Jon, Johnny began his ascent. The cliff face was made of loose dirt which slowed him down some, especially in the dark but by taking his time he made his way to the top. Just as he thought his arms were going to give out from the strain, Johnny felt a pair of hands catch hold of him and pull him the last foot or so to the top. Careful of his unconscious partner, Johnny allowed himself a few moments sprawled on the ground to catch his breath.

"The radios are all smashed," Bruce said. In the dark, Johnny could feel the CHP undoing the ropes in preparation of sending them back down. "There's no way for us to send for help."

Fear settled in the pit of Johnny's stomach. By now he would have expected dispatch to send someone out to look for them, particularly if they couldn't raise them on the radio. Trying to ignore the feeling of dread, Johnny took off his belt and then Roy's so that Bruce could send them back down. Once that was done, Johnny went to the squad to confirm what the CHP officer had told him. Sure enough, the radio in the cab had been smashed as had the Handi-Talki and the ones on the two bikes. Cursing he opened the panels on the squad so he could at least start treating Roy and then Sam once he got to the top. Someone had been in the panels as well. The equipment as scattered, as were most of the supplies. It appeared, however, that nothing had really been damaged.

By the time Bruce pulled Dean and Sam up Johnny had managed to get an IV going using his pen light and had wrapped Roy up in a blanket. His partner didn't appear to be any closer to bring conscious but at least his vital signs appeared stable.

Dean managed to get Sam on the ground near Roy. He'd had a particularly difficult time because Sam had a good four inches on Dean and probably 30 pounds. Gasping for breath, the elder Winchester struggled out of the harness then got the other one off Sam. He handed the belts to Bruce then made sure Sam was still securely tied.

Satisfied that Sam wasn't going anywhere, Dean put his leather jacket over him to keep him warm. His next immediate concern was transportation. It didn't take long to determine that the fire truck and the police bikes were out of commission. For the first time, Dean was thankful that his car was parked nearly half mile away in a turn out. "I'll be back," he told Johnny. That scene from 'Terminator' played through his mind.

"Where are you going?" Johnny asked. Walking around on the dark mountain highway was really not a good idea. Besides, he wanted to know where the strange man was at all times.

"My car's up the road. Hopefully they haven't trashed it too," Dean replied.

"Wait for Jon. Going alone is probably not a good idea."

"I can take care of myself," Dean growled. Not waiting for a response, he headed out up the road. Listening intently, he tried to cover the distance as fast as he could.

XXXXX

"Where'd he go?" Jon asked upon getting free of the harness and finding Johnny. Bruce was busy coiling up the rope, just in case they needed it again.

"Our vehicles are trashed, he's gone to see if his car's okay," Johnny replied. Upon seeing the look on the CHP officer's face, Johnny felt the need to defend his actions. "He didn't ask for permission and I was kind of busy at the time.

"Besides, his brother's still here, he's definitely coming back."

"I guess. How's Roy doing?" Jon asked to change the subject.

"He's about the same as before." Even with the fluids and blanket the older paramedic was not improving.

"So our vehicles are toast?" Bruce had all ready filled him in but Jon was feeling a little too useless. He didn't like it. The road was deserted. He hadn't seen or heard a single vehicle since before they'd reached the cliff face.

"Yeah, looks that way. Someone should have come looking for us by now, either the fire department or CHP or both. I don't like this."

XXXXX

Headlights panned around the curve of the road. The first ones they'd seen since getting up top. Bruce and Jon tried to wave the car down. A dark older car in great shape pulled up and Dean climbed out. He'd positioned the car so that the headlights lit up the scene.

"Anyone order a pizza?" he quipped as he went to his brother. Sam was showing signs of coming around. While he was gone Johnny had replaced the jacket with a full size blanket but he'd left Sam lying on his side to accommodate his tied hands.

"Very funny," Jon replied. "Can we all fit in here? Do you have a cell phone?" The CHP and fire department frowned on its members carrying their personal phones on the job. Right now, Jon hated that rule.

"Yeah, I do but there's no signal," Dean replied. "And, yes, we can all fit in here. Sam's sitting up front, the rest of you get into the back."

It took some work but eventually they all managed to shoehorn Jon, Bruce and Johnny into the back seat with Roy draped across their knees. They were lucky that Dean's car was older; otherwise one of them would be walking. As Dean fastened the seat belt around Sam, his younger brother came to.

It took him a moment or two to register what was going on. Blinking in the light of the instrument panel, Sam looked at his brother as he slide into the driver's seat. "What the hell, Dean. Why am I tied up?" he demanded, oblivious to the people in the back.

If he hadn't seen it himself, Dean would have sworn that it was his brother talking. "Shut up demon," he growled as he put the car in gear.

"Demon?! What're you talking about, it's Sammy" The voice, the eyes, everything screamed Sam but he knew better.

"You blew it right there, buddy. Sam hates to be called Sammy."

The passengers in the back remained quiet, each feeling like they'd fallen down the rabbit hole. Jon and Bruce exchanged a look, both raising their eyebrows in question but they remained silent. Johnny was too busy worrying about Roy to really care.

A wicked smile spread across Sam's face. "So, what're you doing to do now, big brother? You hurt me, you hurt him." The confidence in Sam/the demon's voice went a chill down Dean's back. He was right, this wasn't a usual case. Sam dying was not an option. Maybe he could use Roy as a guinea pig to try out different options. Mentally, he shook his head. The death of civilians was never an option. Ignoring the demon, Dean concentrated on his driving. He was taking them farther into the hills to a cabin he knew about.

"Where are we going?" Bruce piped up from the back seat. He'd been watching the route Dean was taking and knew that they were not headed to the nearest hospital.

"Some place safe," Dean responded. He'd hoped that they wouldn't notice, they still had nearly an hour to go.

"What?!" Johnny demanded. He'd just assumed that they were going to get help. He really didn't like Roy's colour and cold seemed to be emanating from his body. It was actually becoming uncomfortable to have him across his lap. "What do you mean, 'someplace safe'?"

"A hospital can't help them," Dean stated simply.

"Of course they can help." Johnny couldn't believe his ears. As crazy as this guy appeared to be, Johnny couldn't believe he would risk his brother's life.

"They may be able to keep them alive for a while but eventually their bodies will wear out. It may take a month or it may take a week. Depends on how strong willed they are." There was probably the longest speech he'd made to a stranger in a while but the longer he kept them talking the further from the city they went.

"What exactly is going on here?" Johnny demanded. He needed answers and this guy didn't seem too inclined to give them. It was really beginning to piss him off.

A deep sigh escaped from Dean. He'd been doing this for a long time and suddenly felt very tired. "Sam and your friend have been possessed," he stated simply.

Silence was the only response for about 30 seconds. "What the hell are you talking about?" Johnny exploded. "Roy had a headache and now he's sick. That's all there is to this."

"No, that's not all," Sam/the demon replied. The evil grin still plastered on his face, he began to turn his head around. And around. And around. Beyond the range any normal human neck could stretch.

Ice water coursed through the fireman and police officers' veins. It was just like in that movie except all the more disturbing and disgusting in real life. Johnny felt his world shift slightly to the right. Disbelieving, he looked down at his friend's slack face and felt fear take up permanent residence in his heart. He was going to wake up soon, right?

"Stop that!" Dean ordered. He knew if his brother's neck was allowed to stay like that for more than a few moments it could result in permanent brain damage.

Very slowly the demon brought Sam's head back to the right direction. "Dothat again and Ill salt your ass."

"No you won't," the demon responded, continuing to grin. "You wouldn't risk hurting your brother."

"Salt would hurt you more than it would Sam." Dean hated to get into a deep discussion with a demon. They loved to mess with your head but a glance in the rear view mirror and he knew that the guys in the back were verging on hysteria. Trying not to be obvious, Dean applied more pressure on the gas pedal. The sooner they got to the cabin the better.

"Oh," the demon said. "Little Sammy has the shining. That must really irritate you. Little Sammy is the younger, smarter, better looking brother. Why do you think he and your dad fought all the time, Dean? It's because your Daddy loved him best!"

"And how would you know that?" Dean wasn't really paying attention. He knew all of the buttons demons like to push. He knew how sensitive he was about anything that involved his dad and the way he died. Concentrating on his driving he let the demon continue to prattle on. In truth, it was kind of like having Sam around anyway.

"Why, big brother. I've talked to him. He curses your name every time he can. Luckily for you he only has the strength once or twice a week," the demon cackled to itself.

His jaw set, Dean gunned the engine. The sooner they got there the better. The yellow-eyed demon had intimated before that his dad was in hell. The very thought burned in his heart and mind. After a massive car accident that left Dean in a coma, his father had made a deal with the yellow-eyed demon; his soul and a powerful gun in exchange for Dean surviving. If the eldest Winchester had realized just how crippling the guilt would become for Dean he might have reconsidered.

In the back seat Johnny could feel Roy beginning to stir. At first he was greatly relieved. It was the first sign of life he'd shown since he collapsed in the cave. Then the relief was tempered by fear. Maybe he wasn't okay. What if his head starts turning? Johnny wasn't sure how he'd handle that if it did!

"Roy?" he asked quietly, trying to not interrupt the conversation going on in the front seat.

A soft moan escaped from Roy's lips as he struggled toward consciousness. He was cold and his head was pounding to a beat all of its own. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on. The last thing he remembered was trying to rescue the patient from the cliff. After that things got a bit fuzzy. "Johnny?" Roy asked his voice barely above a whisper. In the shifting shadows he wasn't too sure of his eyes.

"Hey!" Johnny was watching his friend carefully, looking for anything out of character and of course for the red flash in his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Where are we?" Roy asked as he looked blurrily around the car interior. None of this was making sense. Dimly, he was becoming aware of a faint buzzing in the back of his mind. It was quickly lost in the pounding of his head.

"We're in a car." Johnny wasn't sure how much to tell the older paramedic. If anyone was going to have strange and unusual things happen to them it was Johnny. The fact that Roy was the one in trouble was an unusual occurrence.

"Where's the squad?" Roy suddenly became aware that he was lying on Johnny. A quick glance at his legs and he discovered Bruce and Jon. The dread in his mind migrated to his stomach. Something was not right.

"It was damaged," Johnny replied. Roy tried to sit up. He hated being vulnerable, but there wasn't enough room for him to go anywhere. Glancing at his arm, he discovered the catheter and IV. Without thinking, he pulled the catheter out and put pressure on the vein to stop the bleeding.

"What the hell is going on?" Roy demanded. His sense of humour had evaporated.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Johnny responded. The car was pulling off the pavement onto a dirt road.

"Johnny," Roy began. He was used to his partner's hare brained schemes and minor obsessive compulsive behaviour but none of this felt right. If anything things felt progressively worse as his headache worsened. Unconsciously, he was aware that the buzzing was changing in intensity and pitch.

"We're almost there," Dean announced from the front. Once the car was stationary he was going to have to deal with the CHP officers. Somehow he doubted that they were going to appreciate everything that was about to happen.

"Almost where?" Roy's temper was beginning to rise. Johnny's schemes were one thing but when it involved two members of the CHP and two patients that bordered on professional misconduct.

"A cabin?" Johnny supplied helpfully. The chill emanating from his partner was becoming worse and from the small lines at the corners of Roy's eyes and his mouth the headache was still there.

"Is someone hurt here? Is there a fire?" Roy asked. "What are we doing here? Have you been in contact with HQ?"

The car was continuing down an isolated dirt road. Trees bordered it on both sides, making the elder paramedic slightly claustrophobic. Beyond the reach of the headlights the world was especially dark, adding to the sense of closeness.

"I tried to call in," Johnny tried to defend his actions."But the biophone, radios and HT were all smashed."

"How did that happen?"

"I don't know, Roy. It happened while we were on the rescue."

Unhappy, Roy lapsed into silence. He still had no idea what was going on. Giving in to his headache, he closed his eyes and decided to trust his partner until he knew the full story.

XXXXX

The rest of the trip to the cabin was relatively uneventful. Unable to goad Dean into a response, the demon had lapsed into a sullen silence. The CHP officers were exchanging whispered words and Johnny was busy watching over his friend. He'd replaced Roy's fingers with a bandage where he'd pulled the IV.

The headlights panned over the front of the isolated cabin as Dean pulled up to it. It looked like any other log cabin built at the same time. It had the low front porch, windows on either side of the door and home spun curtains.

"Right out of a Norman Rockwell painting," Dean muttered to himself as he climbed out of the car. Warily, he pulled the seat forward to let the CHP officers out. They seemed to be docile enough but he wasn't taking any chances. Lightly, his left hand was resting on the butt of the handgun stuck into the back of his pants.

Once the two were out, Dean reached in, caught Roy by the left arm and pulled him out as well. Johnny was behind him in a heartbeat.

"Now what?" Bruce asked. He was completely out of his element and his senior officer didn't seem to be in any better shape. When they'd been discussing alternatives they'd realized until they saw what this character had in mind they were out of options. Watching Sam turn his head all the way to the back was now like a surreal nightmare.

"I have no idea," Jon responded. He glanced at Sam, who was in the front seat, his hands still tied behind his back. The younger man was looking around curiously. There was no indication of the demon that he could see. But then, how would he know what to look for?

"Get him inside," Dean ordered, handing the stumbling paramedic off. He was going to need both hands free to get Sam out of the car. "Watch him."

Suddenly looking uncomfortable, Bruce and Jon caught hold of Roy and started toward the door. Johnny moved as if to follow when Dean placed a hand on his arm and stopped him. "I'm going to need some help with Sam."

"What kind of help?" Johnny asked suspiciously.

"He may try to escape." Dean didn't feel much like elaborating.

"What exactly do you have planned?"

"Well, I think you better be a little more forthcoming if you expect help from any of us." Tired of not knowing, Johnny was prepared to hold his ground.

Frustrated, Dean fought the need to punch the man. Taking a moment to calm his anger, he checked to make sure his brother was still secure. "Fine, I'll tell you but I'll warm you now that if you try to interfere I will stop you with any means necessary.

"My brother and your partner are possessed. They need to be exorcised before they lose their souls."

For the span of five heartbeats Johnny stared at him, emotions playing across his face as he digested what had just been told to him. Dean was beginning to think the man had completely shut down when he slowly nodded his head.

"Okay, "Johnny said, seeming to steel himself against what was to come. "Where do we start?"

"The first thing we've got to do is get Sam into the cabin."

XXXXX

As compliant as the demon was in the car, as soon as he was free of the metal confines he went crazy. Sam laundered himself at his brother. Half expecting it, Dean was able to plant himself enough to keep his feet. Before Sam could recover to try again Johnny caught hold of his tied hands and forced them up causing blinding but non-permanent pain to flash through his shoulders.

"Stop!" Sam gasped as he crumpled to his knees to relieve the pressure.

"No more funny business," Dean growled. With one of them on each arm they pulled Sam to his feet and forced him toward the cabin door.

"Why Dean," the demon said, that accursed smile back. "You've lost your sense of humour! Oh, that's right. You never had one to begin with. You always were the good little soldier."

Johnny was about to open his mouth to ask a question when he saw the scowl on Dean's face and quickly changed his mind. The door opened as they neared. The CHP officers had all ready managed to light a hurricane lamp so there was some light.

Somehow it was not a great improvement, Johnny thought to himself. Despite his hands being tied Sam still put up quite a fight requiring all four of them to restrain him. Dean let go long enough to drag a metal chair into the middle of the room then they man-handled the struggling Sam onto it.

"I need your handcuffs," the eldest Winchester boy said, holding his hands out. Wordlessly the CHP officers complied. Working quickly, Dean shackled his brother's wrists to the chair, cutting the ropes as necessary.

"Do you really think this is a good idea, Johnny?" Jon asked. He trusted the paramedic's judgement if he was willing to go along with it so would he. For now.

"No. But I think we'd better do what he says. How's Roy?" In the dim light of the lamp he could just make out his partner's form sprawled on the only bed along the east wall.

"Not good."

XXXXX

"So, you really think you can exorcise me? The last time Sammy had to do the Latin, you're barely literate," the demon hissed. Frustrated, he struggled against the handcuffs, sure that he should be able to snap them.

Ignoring the demon and the humans, Dean went out to the car, popped the trunk and rummaged through the contents. He knew the items that were necessary for an exorcism. All too often one of the Winchester men had had to perform this ritual. Never had Dean ever considered performing it on his brother but this would actually make the second time it's been necessary. The shining as they called it left Sam vulnerable to this kind of attack. Now that the yellow-eyed demon knew, it was going to happen more and more.

The items he'd need packed in a nylon bag, Dean paused, his hand on the trunk lid, preparing to close it and took a deep breath. Then another. Calmer, he closed the trunk and headed back in.

"Why is Roy so cold?" Johnny asked. He'd just checked on his partner and despite being covered he still felt ice cold.

"Because of the demon," Dean growled. He understood the civilians' confusion but he was getting really tired of all the questions. Keeping an eye on Sam, he began to set up for the ritual.

"You can't hold me here!" Sam/the demon bellowed. To emphasize its point, the demon thrust his hands up, shattering the handcuffs.

"Think again, dirt bag," Dean responded. As he did, he pointed at the ceiling.

Unbelieving the demon cast Sam's eyes upward. Clearly painted on the bare boards was a pentagram.

The demon screamed, its voice inhuman as it stormed around the inside of the circle. Their eyes big with fear and shock, the CHP officers and the fireman backed away from the scene.

"Here," Dean thrust his dad's journal into Johnny's hands. "Can you read Latin?"

"What?" It was very hard to concentrate with the demon raging a few short feet away.

"Can you read Latin?" Dean demanded. He could do this on his own but would take pretty much any help he could get.

"No," Johnny responded. He had to learn the name of the muscle groups when he was taking his paramedic training but that was the extent of his knowledge.

"I can," Jon stepped in. "I used to be an altar boy."

"Great." Dean handed him the journal. "Start reading from here. Keep reading it over and over until I tell you otherwise. Don't lose your place and make sure you pronounce each word properly."

Jon scanned the words to make sure he knew how to pronounce them before nodding his head in agreement.

"Go keep an eye on your partner. He's probably not going to appreciate any of this," Dean instructed Johnny.

Opening the nylon bag, Dean pulled out the candles, incense and holy water. "Are you ready?" he asked Jon who was standing nervously by. Desperately he hoped all of this was an elaborate hoax, the CHP officer nodded his head. "Start reading."

Time stopped. Or so it seemed to the observers in the room. Jon, his head down to keep from being distracted, was carefully reading the text Dean had given him. Dean had placed the candles and incense in the prescribed spots for the ritual and was now sprinkling Sam randomly with the holy water.

The screams and shrieks emanating from Sam increased in frequency and intensity. His face contorted as the demon's true face was forced to the surface. It made the hair on the back of Johnny's neck stand up on end. Even his native ancestry and his people's reliance on the spirit world hadn't prepared him for the scene playing out before him.

Beside him Roy moaned softly and showed signs of coming around. Ripping his eyes away from Dean and Sam, Johnny turned his attention to his partner. Roy appeared to be having a bad dream. His dark blond hair was plastered to his head with sweat, his face was contorted like Sam's and he was breathing heavily. Unsure whether he really wanted to wake him in case he really was like Sam, Johnny continued to watch him closely as the rest of the ceremony played out.

XXXXX

Watching his brother's skin boil where the holy water struck him was almost more than Dean could take. Quickly, he shoved his empathy for Sam deep in the recesses of his mind. This needed to be done. If he couldn't wrestle the demon loose the only other option was killing him. If it took Dean's last breath he was not going to let that happen.

Sweating profusely, despite the chill in the cabin air, Dean listened to Jon reciting the words. He repeated the ones he needed before sprinkling Sam with the holy water. The face of the demon was especially terrifying but Dean continued on, ice running through his veins.

Overwhelmed, not knowing what else to do, Bruce snuck out of the cabin. In a heartbeat he was at the car and checking to see if it was locked. In his haste, Dean had left his pride and joy open. Slipping behind the steering wheel, Bruce reached underneath and pulled some wires loose. He doubted that hot wiring a car was an admirable skill in a CHP officer but it sure came in handy. Within seconds, Bruce was backing the car slowly away from the cabin, its headlights off. Once he figured he was far enough away to not be overheard and seen Bruce turned around, gunned the car and headed down the dirt road.

XXXXX

With a final scream, his head tilted as far back as it would go; the demon launched itself out of Sam's tortured body. Now nothing more than a dark cloud, the demon raced around inside the circle, looking for a way out. Shaking with fatigue, Dean caught up his shot gun. Aiming carefully so that he didn't accidently hit the slumped Sam, he fired. As the rock salt struck it, the demon disappaited and vanished completely.

In the deafening silence that followed Jon lifted his head and glanced around. "Is that it?" He asked.

"For this one," Dean replied. Carefully, he pulled his little brother to his feet and manoeuvred him onto the couch. For his part, Sam barely had the strength to open his eyes. Once he was on the bed he fell instantly asleep.

"Is it dead?" Johnny asked. Now that the ceremony was over Roy was resting more comfortably.

"Not likely." Dean paused by Roy's bed, uncovered him and began to pull him to his feet. The paramedic appeared to be unconscious or deeply asleep. "At best it's dead, at worse it's been sent back to hell for a little while."

"What are you doing?" Johnny asked. Before Dean had a chance to answer Roy pushed him. Taken unaware, Dean sprawled backward as Roy tried to make a break for the cabin door.

Scrambling to his feet, Dean brushed by Johnny on his way to intercept the running fireman. The scent of sulphur was thick in the air. Roy was stopped dead, however, by a tackle from Jon that sent them both tumbling to the floor. The coffee table shattered as they landed on it.

Suddenly Roy seemed to be all arms and legs as he desperately tried to break Jon's hold on him. Just as the CHP officer couldn't hold on any longer, Dean joined the melee and managed to pull the struggling fireman onto the metal chair. Breathing hard he produced another set of handcuffs and securely fastened a snarling Roy. Exhausted, he backed out of the circle.

"Where's Bruce?" Jon asked. He'd just noticed the disappearance of his subordinate.

"Maybe he couldn't handle it," Johnny suggested. He was hovering as close to Roy as he could get without breeching the circle of protection.

"He took your car," Jon added. In truth, he was surprised by the younger man's actions. He knew he was in a place beyond the realm of his usual world but he could not deny what he'd seen. A hospital was not going to help the firefighter. His partner was undoubtedly going to get help. Hopefully they could get this done before they arrived. From the looks of Dean, though, he wasn't sure the other man had enough energy to do the ritual again.

"Damn it!"Dean strode over to the window to confirm the absence of his car. His baby. His pride and joy. He knew that the keys for his car were in the pocket of his leather jacket. That meant the CHP officer had hotwired it. Groaning inwardly, Dean tried to push the thought of how much time and effort that was going to take to fix out of his mind. Quickly he calculated how much time they had before someone broke down the door. Not nearly enough.

A glance at the snarling Roy and Dean knew he had to try. He paused long enough to take a drink of water and swallow an energy bar or two. Reasonably revived, he offered the water bottle to Jon. "Are you ready to go again?" he asked.

"I've got the easy part," Jon responded. "The question is, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Dean answered. He replaced the half melted candles and incense with new ones and refilled the shaker with holy water. "Now."

XXXXX

The ritual progressed slowly. The demon was much more determined to remain within the fire fighter's body. It alternated between snarling and yelling obscenities at Dean and Jon and begging Johnny to stop it. That he was hurting him and Roy didn't know how much more he could take.

At one point Johnny nearly crossed the circle but Dean caught him at the last minute and pulled him back. "Watch the door. Let us know if anyone's coming," he growled before continuing the ritual.

Unnerved and scared for his friend, Johnny shuffled over to the front window. Peering out through the sheers, he tried to block out Roy's screams and pleading.

Outside the cabin, the forest was losing some of its gloom. Johnny checked his watch. The sun had risen nearly twenty minutes ago. In the tall trees, the sun wouldn't really be making itself known for several more minutes but at least it would make it harder for anyone to sneak up on them. Johnny hoped. Briefly the thought of how very pissed off Cap was going to be with him came to mind.

Johnny could only imagine the scenarios that had come to his boss's mind when they found the ruined squad. The jibes from Chett weren't going to be a lot of fun either. Somehow, though, Johnny doubted that either one of them would believe what really happened.

Gradually, Roy's screams lessened. Johnny wasn't sure if it was because the demon was losing its hold or if Roy was simply too exhausted to manage anything else. As much as he wanted to look, he didn't dare. Instead he concentrated all the harder on scanning the woods.

XXXXX

Dean had had to pause once so far to refill the holy water and was nearing the end of that amount. His voice hoarse, he continued to try to pull the demon out of the older firefighter. The CHP officer was having similar difficulties with his own voice but he didn't stop or mispronounce a single word.

Just as the last drops of holy water flowed out of the shaker, Roy bent his head back and the demon burst forth from his mouth. This one had a more solid appearance but it was completely black, about the size of a man with more of a bat shape. While Dean reached for the shot gun, it flew around the circle of protection every molecule of it searching for a way out.

Taking careful aim, Dean pulled the trigger. Two barrels of rock salt shredded the demon. Shrieking, it slowly vaporized.

Once it was completely gone, Dean stepped into the circle and unlocked the handcuffs. Unconscious, Roy began to slide out of the chair. Jon stepped in and between the two of them they carried the older man to the bed. It only took moments to settle him in then they each found a chair and collapsed into it.

"Is there anyone out there?" Dean asked. Without his Impala there wasn't anywhere for him to go. He couldn't carry Sam and he wasn't leaving without him.

"Not so far," Johnny replied. A sudden urge to look out the back overwhelmed him and he headed across the cabin. On the way, he paused long enough to check on his partner before reaching the back door. Not necessarily superstitious, Johnny was careful not to step within the circle, just in case. Maybe Bruce got lost, he thought as he scanned the forest at the back of the cabin.

"I'll keep an eye out front," Jon stated. Not really physically tired, he none the less was nearly mute, his voice was so hoarse. Cautiously he situated himself beside the window so that he could keep watch.

XXXXX

Faintly through the trees Jon could have sworn he heard a siren. Before he could be positive the sound vanished to be replaced by the tapping of a wood pecker.

"What happens when the fire department and CHP show up?" he asked. He didn't think there was a criminal code for performing an exorcism so he had no legal reason to detain the brothers.

"I get my car back," Dean responded with certainly.

"And after that?" Johnny prompted.

"Sam and I go on our merry way." They still had to deal with the demon but both of them needed to rest first. Besides, he wasn't telling these people that he had to kill something that would probably leave a body behind.

"Stay here," Jon said. As casually as he could manage, Jon stepped out of the front door and paced down the driveway. A moment ago he'd seen a flash of light reflected off metal. He didn't want anyone crashing through the cabin door with their guns blazing.

The gravel driveway curved twenty feet ahead to the right. Beyond that point it disappeared because of the dense stand of trees between the cabin and the rest of the road. His uniform boots crunching loudly on the gravel, Jon took several deep breaths. The smell of aspen trees, the occasional fir and the dense undergrowth was wonderful after the sweaty, fear filled confines of the cabin. It was definitely better than the asphalt he was used to riding his bike on.

The hair on the back of his neck stood straight up as Jon paced around the bend. Images of SWAT teams and riot squads bunched behind the tree trunks kept flashing through his mind. At any moment he half expected shots to ring out.

Two more strides and he cleared the bend. What he found was anticlimactic. The Impala was parked 10 yards away from him, behind that were Engine 51 and an ambulance. Bruce popped his head up from behind the car, looking a little sheepish with his revolver in his hand.

"Where's Firemen Gage and DeSoto?" the captain demanded as he climbed out of the cab of the fire engine. His face was dark with anger.

"In the cabin," Jon answered simply. Bruce had holstered his weapon and moved to join his partner.

"I'm sorry," he stated. "They seemed like the lesser of the two evils."

"You're probably right. Bring the vehicles." Not waiting for their response. Jon turned and headed back to the cabin.

"Is it over?" Bruce asked. He'd left the Impala to the firemen to drive. There were too many questions to be asked and Jon wasn't showing any inclination to climb on board the car.

"Yes," Jon answered.

As he rounded the corner he found Johnny standing on the porch, looking a little apprehensive.

"Are they okay?" Bruce continued.

"Seem to be." Behind them the vehicle tires crunched in the gravel. "What did you tell them?"

"That our units were damaged so we had to hitch a ride. I didn't mention anything about spirits but I had to make up some excuse. I said they'd been infected by something in the cave and needed medical attention." The marginally shorter officer had to take three steps for every two steps Jon took. By the time they reached the cabin door, he was slightly out of breath.

XXXXX

As soon as the engine began to stop Captain Stanley bound out of it and strode up to his junior paramedic. "What the hell's going on here?!" he demanded. When squad 51 hadn't reported in within 2 hours and they couldn't raise them on the radio, Captain Stanley had half the city of Los Angeles looking for them. His concern had only increased when the vandalized squad and the two motor bikes were found.

"Ah," Johnny responded, temporarily stunned by the fury in Stanley's eyes."It's kind of hard to explain."

"Where's Roy?" Captain Stanley knew that of the two paramedics Roy DeSoto was the more mature and reliable.

"He's in the cabin, Cap. He's going to need to go to the hospital." Johnny had to back pedal to get out of his captain's way. Warily, the two ambulance attendants were waiting until the all clear signal was given.

"What's been going on here?" Captain Stanley paused long enough to scan the interior of the cabin. His frown deepened when he spotted the pentagram on the ceiling.

"It's kind of hard to explain," Johnny repeated. Regaining his confidence, he slipped around his captain and strode to Roy's side. "But I deemed the treatment was necessary."

Captain Stanley peered over Johnny's shoulder at Roy's pale, sweaty face. Luckily most of the welts from the holy water were pretty much gone.

"Who are they?" he asked, indicating Sam and Dean. None of this was sitting well. If Roy were conscious he'd be demanding answers from him.

"They helped us after the squad was wrecked."

"Who trashed the squad?" He wasn't looking forward to filling out the mountains of paperwork that were going to be involved in getting a replacement.

"We don't know. We were on a rescue down the cliff at the time," Johnny responded.

"Who were you rescuing?" The log for all of this ought to be entertaining to read in nothing else came of this.

"Me," Dean volunteered. "Only I didn't need rescuing."

"Was he with you when the equipment was smashed?"

"Yes, Cap."

"Fine. Let's get Roy out of here," Captain Stanley ordered. "What about him?" With a flick of his gloved thumb, he indicated Sam, still sound asleep on the couch.

"He's just tired," Dean stepped in before Johnny had a chance to say anything. The last place either Winchester wanted to spend their time was in a hospital. Too many bad things happened there.

Johnny risked a glance at the older brother before agreeing with him. Being a paramedic, he would prefer to have Sam in a hospital so he could be rehydrated with IVs and checked over to make sure there was no permanent damage done. However, he knew instinctively that the brother had a great deal more experience at all this and so he left the decision up to Dean. "Yeah, he'll be fine after a few more hours of rest."

"Is that your professional opinion, Gage?" That fishy feeling had been intensifying the entire time he'd been inside the cabin. Stanley desperately wanted to believe Johnny. Past experience wouldn't let him, though.

"Yes."

"All right." Admitting defeat, Stanley gave the okay signal to Chet who'd been waiting in the doorway. Slipping outside, Chet signalled the ambulance attendants and stepped aside to give them room.

Within minutes, Roy was loaded onto the gurney, a blanket wrapped around him, and was on his way out the door. Johnny paused and looked at Dean, unsure of what to say.

"We'll be fine," Dean stated, not liking the possibility of a chick flick moment.

"Will you be here tonight?" Johnny wasn't sure why but he was suddenly concerned for them.

"No."

"If you ever need help." Johnny pulled out a business card from a small metal case in his belt. Usually they gave the cars to irate patients that demanded their information. "Give me a call."

"Thanks." To appease the paramedic, Dean slid the card into the pocket of his jacket.

"Gage!" the captain bellowed from outside.

Without saying another word, Johnny left. Bruce and Jon were sitting in the cab of the engine. The door to the ambulance remained open as they waited for the paramedic to climb aboard. Securely shutting the door behind him, Johnny settled onto the bench beside Roy and accepted the offered stethoscope. The ambulance attendant moved into the front passenger seat to give Johnny room to work.

With practiced ease, Johnny checked Roy's vital signs. All were high normal but still normal. His partner's continued unconsciousness made him nervous. Who knew what kind of damaged having a demon shoe-horned into your body could do. Dean didn't seem too worried, but he'd been through it before. For Johnny it was nerve-wracking. What kind of questions was the hospital going to ask? How was he going to explain all this in the report he was going to have to fill out? Feeling defeated, Johnny rested his hand on Roy's nearest arm and waited for the trip to end. He should have gotten on the radio and let Rampart know they were coming but he wanted to extra time to think.

XXXXX

"What happened?" That was the very first question Dr. Brackett barked as they were wheeling Roy into the emergency department of Rampart General Hospital.

"We were on a rescue," Johnny hedged. He was no closer to coming up with a plausible explanation. "His vital signs are high normal with no signs of physical trauma but he hasn't woken up."

"What was going on just before he lost consciousness?" Dr. Brackett had guided the gurney into exam 2 and waited for Johnny and the ambulance attendants to get into position so they could transfer Roy onto the exam table.

In moments of being placed on the table, Dixie had stripped Roy down to his underwear and put a sheet over him. Seeing the elder paramedic like this really threw her. She'd seen Johnny on this very same bed a couple of times, but never Roy.

"You haven't answered my question, John," Bracket reminded him.

For a brief moment Johnny again considered making up a story but under the intense blue-eyed gaze of the head doctor he just couldn't. In seconds the entire story poured out of him. When he got to the part about performing the exorcism Dr. Brackett's face darkened in anger but he remained silent until the young paramedic wound down to a stop.

"Are you serious?"

Now that it was all over, Johnny was a little ashamed of his participation in the whole event. Not looking up, he nodded his head yes. Muttering under his breath about hare-brained schemes, Dr. Brackett turned back to Roy. The attendants had exited the room with their gurney leaving Johnny alone with Dixie and Dr. Brackett. Quickly the doctor checked Roy's vitals.

"Let's start an IV. D5W, slow drip, and get some blood for labs. I want a complete work up," he instructed his nurse. Roy's skin was cold and clammy but otherwise he was not exhibiting any real symptoms of disease or injury. Judging from what Johnny had described, he would have expected some shock but even that didn't explain his lack of consciousness.

With practiced ease, Dixie had the IV set up, the catheter inserted and the liquid flowing in a few minutes. She'd paused to extract a small quantity of Roy's blood so she could send it to the lab before hooking up the IV. She loved Johnny to death but she didn't envy his current position. Dr. Brackett could be very hard headed and judgemental at times, especially when his hackles were raised, like now. Silently, she slipped out of the room to take the blood to the lab.

"I can't believe you let this happen," Dr. Brackett finally said. He was very concerned about Roy. There was no telling what kind of damage had been done during the bizarre ceremony Johnny had described.

"You had to be there, Doc. I didn't believe any of it either until I saw that guy's head turn to the back," Johnny tried to defend himself.

"That was just a trick of the light. It was dark out when it happened." Thanks to his training, Dr. Brackett knew that it was anatomically impossible for the human head to turn that far without resulting in death.

"There were street lights. I saw what I saw, Dr. Brackett. Officers Baker and Nelson witnessed it all too."

"All right, all right." Kelly Bracket held up a hand to forestall any further explanations. He was not in the mood to fight with the younger man. He did, however, make a mental note to track down the two officers and get their side of this.

"What's taking those labs?" To distract himself, he stalked over to the phone, punched in the number for the lab and spent a few moments growling at the tech who answered.

Ignoring the raging doctor, Johnny moved over to stand beside Roy. His partner suddenly looked so small and vulnerable. Johnny hated it. Absently, he pulled the sheet up until it rested just below Roy's chin. "Well, buddy, I sure hope you come out of this," he said quietly. He hoped that Roy could still hear him. "If you don't I'll have to break in a new partner."

"He may look bad, John," Dr. Brackett began, finally feeling sorry for the younger man's experiences. He knew the type of friendship the two men shared, always needling each other about having to train a new partner if anything happened to either of them. Otherwise he might have taken offense at the last statement. "But so far the labs are coming back clean. Whatever's going on doesn't appear to be physical in nature."

"Somehow that's not very comforting."

XXXXX

When the rest of the lab results came back clear, Dr. Bracket had Roy moved up to a private room. Still mystified, he went down to his office and began to do research. For his part, Johnny sat beside Roy for several hours but there was no change in his condition.

XXXXX

"Why don't you go home and get some rest, Johnny?" Dixie startled the young paramedic awake by placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll let you know if anything changes."

Groggy, Johnny ran his hands over his face before checking his watch. It had been three days and they were no closer to finding out what was wrong with Roy. Johnny had been by his side the entire time. Dixie had to bring meals in to him, otherwise Johnny would have starved. "Thanks, Dixie. I've got to go to the station, pick up my car and change. After that I'll be on my cell."

With one last glance at his sleeping partner, Johnny left. It felt like he was abandoning Roy. But he was grubby beyond belief and starting to smell badly. He wasn't doing either of them any good this way.

XXXXX

It felt kind of strange taking a taxi to Station 51 but without the squad he didn't have much choice. The other members of station 51 had spent most of their off hours at the hospital in the waiting rooms but today A shift was on. Paying the driver, he climbed out and trudge up the driveway toward the side door. Inside he found a brand new squad sitting beside Engine 51.

"Hey, Johnny, you look like crap." The voice was Chet's. As always, he loved to state the obvious.

"Thanks."

"The hospital has been keeping us posted on Roy's condition," Mike Stoker stated. The other firemen, including the two paramedics who'd been called in to cover for Roy and Johnny crowded into the garage from the common room.

"There hasn't been any change. Look, guys, I know you're concerned but I just need to take a shower, get changed and go home." He really wasn't in the mood to be subjected to an inquisition.

"You're going to have to fill out your shift report, John," Captain Stanley reminded him. At the exhausted pallor that spread over the younger man's face he relented. "Write it out long-hand and type it up next time you're in.

"Speaking of which, Battalion has instructed me to take you and Roy off the rotation for the next six days. After that we'll have to see. Go home, get some rest."

XXXXX

It felt like it had been years since he'd last seen his apartment. Johnny slipped out of his jacket, tossed it over the nearest chair and headed for the kitchen.

_Thank God for leftovers_, he thought as he ravenously finished the pizza he'd ordered 5 nights ago followed by the chicken from the day before that. Washing it all down with a beer, he moved into the living room and sprawled on the couch. For a brief moment he considered reaching for the TV remote but he was asleep before the thought could reach his muscles.

XXXXX

Ring.

_What's __that_Johnny thought groggily.

Ring.

Damn. Sitting bolt upright in the couch, he managed to get his cell phone off of his belt before it stopped ringing.

"Yeah?" he croaked into the mouthpiece. Normally an early riser, he felt like he was moving through a vat of molasses.

"Fireman Gage?" the voice was very familiar. "Dean. I need to ask you one question. Has your partner woken up yet?"

"No," Johnny replied as he tried to overcome his surprise. "The hospital would have called if he had."

"Neither has Sam. We need to deal with the main demon. The ones we exorcised weren't the ones in control."

"You said that it was over." Johnny was hoping desperately that he was still asleep and this was a bad dream. He though he was done with demon hunting.

"I was wrong."

"What do you want?"

"I need your help." It was nearly killing the eldest Winchester brother to admit that he couldn't do this on his own.

"I need to check on Roy at the hospital before I agree to anything."

"Fine. Do you have my number?"

A quick check of the display on his cell and Johnny read the number back just in case.

"Call me when you're ready."

XXXXX

The trip to the hospital seemed to take forever. For some reason the LA traffic seemed so much worse than usual. Then it took a few more minutes to find a parking spot for his Jeep.

XXXXX

"How is he?" The first staff member Johnny'd run into was Dixie.

"No change, Johnny. At least you look a bit better," she replied.

"What is Dr. Brackett planning for treatment?" They continued to talk as they made their way through the crowded corridor toward Roy's private room.

"If there's no change by early evening he's going in for surgery to have a feeding tube put in. The IV's will only hold him for so long." The concern in the head nurse's voice belayed the nonchalant expression on her 40 something face.

"He's still no closer to finding out what's wrong, is he?" A feeding tube was a last ditch remedy. It meant that they were preparing Roy for life as a vegetable. Fear began once again to gnaw at Johnny's stomach.

Opening the door to let Johnny into the room, Dixie simply shook her head no. As the paramedic slipped by her, she squeezed his nearest arm and left.

The door closed quietly behind him as Johnny paced over to the small figure on the bed. His heart in his throat, he looked down at the pale face of his partner. Roy looked to be sleeping peacefully but the pale colour and sweatiness of his skin belayed that illusion. Reaching out, he touched Roy's right shoulder. Under his fingers it felt like Roy was trembling slightly.

XXXXX

"Dean?" Johnny had heard the phone click when it had been answered but no one had said anything.

"Just making sure it was you," Dean finally answered.

"I need your help," Johnny wasn't in the mood for niceties.

"That's my line."

"They plan on putting a feeding tube in Roy. That's invasive surgery that he doesn't need."

"Once we kill the lead demon he should wake up. Surgery shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm not willing to take that chance."

XXXXX

"Do you have any sort of plan here, dude?" Dean asked. He hated being anywhere that was so closely monitored as this hospital. Not all of the authorities had understood why certain demons or other supernatural beings had to be dispelled or killed. He wasn't necessarily on the FBI's most wanted list but he also wasn't exactly unknown to them either.

"Not necessarily." Johnny couldn't believe he was even considering kidnapping his friend. If anything happened to Roy as a result of him taking him out of the hospital, he was never going to be able to forgive himself. "Stay here."

"Why?" that didn't really seem like the best plan.

"I'm known here. If I'm found picking up supplies it won't cause as much suspicion as if you do it." Johnny glanced out the door and then left.

Uncomfortable in the room, Dean hated hospitals, he paced the entire time John was gone. Occasionally he'd steal a glance at the still form of Roy but otherwise ignored the unconscious fireman. An eternity later, the door opened and Johnny pushed a gurney into the room.

"Wouldn't a wheel chair have been less obvious?" Dean asked.

"This way we don't have to tie him in and we can hide his face. Roy's too well known to try to slip him out any other way. Here," Johnny threw a scrub top at Dean. "Help me get him dressed. I'm not taking Roy out of here in a hospital gown."

"I don't dress guys." Dean's borderline homophobia was showing through. The only guy he'd ever helped dress was his brother, starting when he was a year and a half old.

"You fight demons without blinking an eye but you're afraid of touching an unconscious man??" Johnny couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Grumbling, Dean pulled the covers off Roy, rolled him over to untie the gown and pulled it off. Johnny pulled the scrub pants up over his legs and underwear before disconnecting the IV so Dean could get the shirt over his head and arms. Gently, they moved Roy from the bed to the gurney then flipped him onto his stomach. Johnny braced his head with pillows so that he didn't suffocate, and then he pulled a sheet and a blanket over him. Lastly, he reconnected the IV and slipped the bag under the blanket.

"I'm parked by the freight elevators. I'll leave first and lead the way. Just don't get too close."

"Whatever you say." This seemed pretty hare-brained but he didn't have any other ideas. He did stop long enough to put the pillows under the blankets on the bed so it looked occupied.

XXXXX

As soon as he opened the door, Johnny knew his goose was cooked. Dixie was standing right in his way, a tray in her hand that she appeared to be intent on taking inside Roy's room. His heart plummeted to somewhere around his knees.

"Hi, Johnny," she said, an easy smile playing across her features.

"Ah, hi, Dix." Johnny was trying to keep her from seeing inside but from the dismayed expression that had replaced the smile, he'd been unsuccessful.

"John Gage. What do you think you're doing?!"

Quickly, Johnny pulled her into the room. "I can explain," he began. Dean stood his ground, loose scrubs pulled over top of his street clothes so he blended in better.

"You'd better start," she said, taking in the bed and the gurney.

"I know what's wrong and how to make Roy better. It may take longer than the few hours we have until Dr. Brackett wants to perform the surgery. If I'm successful, he won't need it." Not one to make a lot of sense when he was nervous, he hoped desperately that Dixie could decipher what he'd said.

"What's wrong with him?" Dixie wanted to know. If this had been anyone but Johnny Gage she would have called security by now.

"Ah." Feeling silly, Johnny glanced at Dean for moral support. All he got was an impassive look. "We got the demon out of him but not the leader. Once we deal with it Roy should be fine."

"What do you mean 'deal with it'?" Dixie moved over to the gurney and did a quick check of the blond man's vital signs.

"We'll salt it, send it back to hell," Dean filled in. Civilians tended to get upset when words like 'kill' came into conversations.

"What do you mean 'salt it'?" Dixie was beginning to think she should be calling security even if it was Johnny.

"Dixie," Johnny jumped in before Dean could say what was on his mind. From the look on his face, it wasn't good. "Please. Trust me. Roy'll never wake up otherwise."

The desperation in Johnny's brown eyes was enough to convince her. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself for what was to come. "I could lose my job for this," she muttered as she pulled Roy's blanket down and, with help from Johnny, rolled the elder paramedic onto his back.

"Not if he recovers," Johnny assured her. Once Roy was resettled, he pulled the blanket back up.

"This had better work, Johnny. If it were anyone but Roy I would have you committed to the psych ward. Be the orderly, follow me." Still muttering quietly to herself, Dixie led Johnny out of the room and held the door open so Dean could get the gurney through.

"Thank you, Dixie," Johnny said quietly as he passed her.

"I'm taking this patient down to x-ray," Nurse McCall called to the nurses' station. The nurse on duty didn't even look up; she just nodded her head and kept entering data onto the computer keyboard.

In the elevator the three of them stood around the gurney in silence. Other people tried to board only to find that there wasn't enough room.

As the doors opened on the main floor, Johnny held the door open while Dixie and Dean wheeled Roy out. "Where to?" Dixie asked.

"I'm near the freight elevator."

XXXXX

It took a little planning but between the three of them they got Roy situated in the back seat of Johnny's Jeep. "Good luck," Dixie said. Without a backward glance she pushed the gurney back toward the hospital.

"I'll bring my car around," Dean said. "He should be fine in the motel room with Sam."

XXXXX

Luckily Sam and Dean tended to stay at the seedier motels so two men carrying an unconscious man into a room really didn't raise any eyebrows. The room was a little dark and dingy but Johnny figured it really wouldn't matter much to Roy. Once he was situated on the other bed, Johnny checked both men's vital signs. Both were in stable condition but Dean was showing signs of early dehydration. Quickly, he put in an IV. That done, he and Dean moved over to the small kitchen set a few steps away. On the table was an open laptop.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Johnny asked, running a hand through his dark hair nervously. He had a lot riding on this working, including his career and his best friend's life.

"Piece of cake." Dean's confident tone didn't quite make it up to his hazel eyes. In the dim light Johnny didn't notice.

"Where do we start?"

"Back at the cave. It may still be there, if not, we'll track it from there."

"When do we start?"

"Right now."

XXXXX

The trip back to the curve on Mulholland Drive was made in silence, each man trapped in their own worlds of worry. Rather than risk falling down the cliff face again, Dean drove around until he found access to the area they wanted and parked at the bottom. The sun was only two hours from setting. The winter day was warmer than usual so neither man needed more than the jackets they wore.

Throwing the car into park, Dean pulled the keys out of the newly fixed ignition and climbed out of the car. Without a word, he headed to the trunk and popped it. As Johnny came around to join him, Dean lifted up the trunk covering to reveal hidden storage underneath. Inside were several forms of weapons, lights, climbing gear and other items the young fireman didn't recognize. Dread seeped into his gut.

"Here." Dean thrust a handgun and a shotgun into Johnny's hands. "You do know how to use those, don't you?"

"Just point and shoot, right?" Johnny didn't really like the other man's condescending attitude. While growing up on the reserve Johnny had used his fair share of fire arms to shoot gophers and the occasional coyote. It had been a while but the mechanics were still the same.

"Smart ass," Dean muttered under his breath. He took a handgun and shotgun for himself, extra ammo and anything else he thought they might use were stashed in a nylon backpack. Lastly, he handed Johnny a flashlight and took one himself before he shut the trunk.

The trek up to the cave was a lot harder than the trek down had been. Scrambling among the trees and underbrush, the two men scaled the steep incline. By the time they reached the plateau where the cave was both had to stop to catch their breath.

The plateau looked different in daylight but the cave entrance was unmistakeable. Dean led the way. The two men entered the darkness beyond. After the bright sunlight even with the flashlights it took a moment or two for their eyes to adjust.

Systematically, they searched each branch off the main entrance. Some of them dead ended within a few yards, others twisted and turned and required quite a bit of time to explore. The sun had long since set when they reached the main cave.

The flashlight beam created eerie looking shadows that set Johnny's nerves on edge. A thorough search didn't come up with any demons. Wordlessly, they headed down the entrance to the right of the one they'd exited from. Dean marked the entrance that they'd come out of to make sure they didn't get lost.

"This is going to take forever," Johnny said. This was the third branch off of the main chamber. It seemed to last for a long time as it slowly descended into the bowls of the cliff. "Sam and Roy don't have any time to waste."

"Sssshhh!" Dean agreed whole-heartedly with the fireman's frustration. All Sam had had since being possessed was some soup broth that he'd managed to dribble into his mouth. He was scared. The thought of losing his little brother was almost more than he could bear. Swallowing bile, he concentrated harder.

Dimly somewhere ahead the experienced hunter could just make out a shuffling sound. Motioning Johnny on with a wave of his hand, Dean continued. The cave floor was getting rockier and wetter. Moisture was collecting on the ceiling. The further they went the water drops turned into stalactites and stalagmites. The corridor was widening every few yards and they had to climb over a few of the larger formations.

Just ahead, beyond a bend in the corridor, Dean heard the sound again. As much as he wanted to turn the flashlights off, they made them perfect targets; Dean knew they'd be in the dark without them. Slowing, he carefully made his way over the next formation and began to inch around the curve.

In the blink of an eye, Dean felt a powerful pressure on his chest then he was flying sideways into the corridor wall. As he made contact with the hard surface, all his breath rushed out of his body, leaving him stunned. Johnny didn't even have a chance to react before the demon was on him. It struck him across the face with enough force to stun an elephant.

Johnny's head snapped to the side, his lip and nose spurting blood as the young firefighter struggled to remain conscious. He didn't even feel it as his body slumped against the opposite wall.

An inhumane shriek rent the air. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Johnny forced his protesting body into a kneeling position. His right hand searched the waist band of his jeans for the handgun. The world had been reduced to pitch black. Angered by the lights, the demon had shattered both of the flashlights. Just as the gun barrel cleared his clothes, Johnny felt a presence in front of him. Pain unlike anything he'd ever experienced before exploded through his brain.

Ten seconds after hitting the wall, Dean was up again. Off to his left he could make out the sounds of Johnny's struggles with the demon. Cursing under his breath, he felt around in the dark until he found the backpack. Blindly he searched the bag until he found what he needed. A snap and a shake and the corridor was dimly illuminated with a harsh yellow light. The light sticks weren't great but at least it let him distinguish between Johnny and the demon.

The demon had Johnny by the head, trying to wedge one of its children into his mind. Without hesitation, Dean unloaded both barrels of the shotgun into it. Shrieking, it pulled Johnny in front of it as a shield while maintaining its grip on his head.

Levering the empty shells out of the rifle, Dean replaced them and closed the breech. Ignoring Johnny's proximity, the rock salt could hurt like hell but it wouldn't cause any permanent damage to the fireman. He shot again.

The noise of the shotgun in the confines of the corridor was deafening. For several seconds it drowned out the cries of the demon. Injured and angry, it hurled Johnny's limp body at Dean as it tried to escape up the corridor. Dean dropped the shotgun, side stepped Johnny as he landed and went after the demon. The handgun barking with each step he took.

Now on the run, Dean released the empty clip of the handgun, pocketed it and shoved a fresh one home. Cocking it, he continued to shoot at the ever disappearing demon. Just as it seemed to vanish completely, they reached the main chamber. Breathless, Dean used the light stick to search the vaulted ceiling for any sign of the demon. Nothing.

Defeated, he placed his hands on his knees. The light was clutched in his left hand, the gun is his right while he took stock and tried to catch his breath. _Oh, Sam_, he thought. Blinking unwanted tears from his eyes he stood up.

And was sent sailing one hundred feet to land on his left side. Gasping against the pain, Dean clawed his way back to his feet. The glo-stick skittered ten feet away from his outstretched hand but Dean had managed to keep the handgun. Lying on his back, he braced it with both hands and started shooting.

The demon shrieked as bullets tore through its form. Desperate to escape, it headed for the ceiling trying to blend in with the darkness. _This thing has_ _too many hit points, _Dean thought as the gun clicked empty. Down to his last clip, he reloaded. The demon had vanished.

"Damn it," he swore. Gingerly, he climbed to his feet and paced over to the glo-stick. As he bent down to retrieve it, the demon appeared directly in front of him. One skeletal hand shot out and grabbed Dean around the neck. Within seconds Dean's feet were no longer touching the ground as the demon grew in size. Struggling against the glacial grip, Dean raised the handgun.

The demon's face was hidden by a hood. Inside the black depths,the elder Winchester thought he heard echoes of hell. Distant screams and moans. Shots rang out as Dean squeezed the trigger. The demon caught hold of the gun, wrenching it from his grip and tossed it. A strange cackling issued from the hood as Dean's vision began to dim and his struggles weaken.

Everything that had seemed so important just a few moments ago suddenly didn't seem to matter. Images of Dean's father and his mother floated behind his closed eyelids. The last thing he saw was his brother's face as he'd last seen him.

A shot rang out.

Dean was jerked as the demon reacted. Startled, it loosened its grip on his throat as a second shot boomed. The demon shrieked as it dropped Dean like a sack of potatoes. It faced the new threat.

A third shot spun the demon around. Out from the folds of darkness appeared a glint of light. A fourth shot and the glint became a gold medallion hung on a gold chain around its neck.

_It couldn't be that easy_, Johnny thought to himself as he took careful aim. The medallion shattered as the hollow point bullet struck it and exploded. The cave filled with black flame. Instinctively Johnny fell to the ground as it raged for several seconds. Amid the flames multiple voices screamed and shrieked making Dean and Johnny's splitting headaches so much worse.

It seemed to last forever. Johnny wasn't sure he could take any more. The demon's touch had left him feeling like his brain was on fire and now the sounds of its death sent stabbing pains through his eardrums. Screwing his eyes shut, he stuck his fingers in his ears and tried not to pass out.

Through the roaring in his ears as his starved brain demanded oxygen Dean marvelled that they were still alive. The fire and the screams were secondary and felt like they were a long way away. Slowly he rolled onto his back, ignoring his protesting ribs and watched as the flames petered out. With a final gasp, it was gone.

The only sound in the cave was the two men's ragged breathing. Neither of them was immediately able to move. Finally Johnny forced his knees under him and stood up. The glo-stick was just barely lit but he knew where the demon had dropped Dean and headed toward him. His mouth felt like dust but at least his head was no longer pounding and his ears appeared to be recovering as well.

Johnny just managed to keep from collapsing beside the other man as his trembling legs nearly gave out. He wasn't sure if it was relief or a reaction to the pain his body had endured. Shaking his head a little, he decided he didn't really care.

"Are you all right?" he asked as the last light from the glo-stick vanished.

"Yeah." Dean had to pause and lick his dry lips before continuing. "Good shot."

"Maybe I should have been a cop."

XXXXX

In his trek in the dark, Johnny had found both Dean's shotgun and his backpack so once Dean reached his feet they were ready to leave. Another glo-stick lighting their way, Johnny picked up Dean's gun on his way by then he followed the other man out to the fresh air beyond the cave. He was sure than Dean was injured but he showed no indication of letting Johnny examine him.

Outside of the cave, Dean rummaged in the backpack and brought out a canteen. He took a couple of hearty swallows then handed it over to the young fireman.

"Is it really over?" Johnny asked as he handed the half full canteen back.

"We'll see." Without another word, Dean began the descent to where the Impala was parked. It wasn't a lot of fun. Dean figured he had at least one bruised rib from his fall but he'd been through a lot worse. What he really wanted was to see Sam. When they reached the car, the sun had risen in the east.

XXXXX

The trip back to the motel took less time than it should have. Johnny was thankful that they hadn't been stopped for speeding. As the car pulled into the spot in front of the motel room Johnny's heart was in his throat. It was all he could do to keep from bowling the slow moving Dean over in his haste to get in to check on Roy.

Opening the door, Dean was terribly disappointed to find both men sound asleep. Giving in to his pain, he moved over to the nearest chair and sat down heavily on it. What had he missed? Why hadn't it worked?

Thoughts swimming through his mind, Johnny wanted nothing more than to curl up in a dark corner and die. Instead, he walked over to Roy's bed and began to take his pulse. Concentrating on his watch while he timed the heart beats he didn't initially notice movement beyond his hand.

"Where are we?" Roy asked, his voice little more than a whisper. Bewildered, he was blinking his eyes quickly while taking in their surroundings.

Johnny's heart seemed to stop. Slowly, he looked at his partner's face. "Roy?" he asked stupidly. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long he didn't believe that it was happening.

"Who else were you expecting?" Roy asked. He tried to sit up only to find that he was a lot weaker than he remembered being. What was going on? Why were they in this crappy motel room? Who were the other people in the room?

"Here." Johnny went to the sink, filled up a glass and came back. With a little help Roy downed it in a few moments. He couldn't ever remember being this thirsty. "How do you feel?"

"Wiped out," Roy admitted. The water had revived him somewhat but he still felt like he'd been sick for a week.

"Dean?" Sam had woken up. He had no idea who these two guys were and it freaked him out. No matter how old he got, Sam's first response was to look for his brother upon waking.

"Hey, Sammy." Dean tried to appear nonchalant. His knees were weak from relief as he took four steps to reach his kid brother's side. "Good to see you."

The last thing Sam remembered was the demon attacking him. He looked around the motel room and felt more than a little lost. "What's going on?" he asked, nodding his head toward the two firemen.

"I'll explain later." Dean turned to Johnny. "Maybe you should take him to the hospital and get him checked out."

"Aren't you the guy we were trying to rescue off the side of the cliff?" Roy had finally figured out where he'd seen Dean before.

"Come on, partner. Dixie and Dr. Brackett will be waiting for you at Rampart."

"Why am I wearing scrubs?" None of this was making sense. Johnny didn't seem too worried but somehow that only made him more nervous.

"I'll fill you in on the way."

XXXXX

Roy safely bundled in the front seat of his Jeep, Johnny stood by the driver's door and turned to Dean. The elder Winchester was leaning against the motel room's door jam.

"Thank you," he said. At a loss for words to explain how much all of this had meant to him, Johnny fell back to the old standards.

"Don't ever try that alone," Dean warned. He and Sam would be gone five minutes after the firemen left. He wasn't taking any chances that he'd been recognized and reported to the authorities. Sam could rest in the car. It wouldn't be the first time.

Johnny felt the need to say something further but he sensed that it wouldn't be appreciated. With a final nod he climbed behind the wheel, started the engine and backed up.

"Why do I feel so strange?" Roy asked as they sped down the freeway.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Johnny replied. He wasn't sure how much detail he was willing to get into with his partner. Roy all ready thought he was some kind of nut most days. Glancing at his friend, Roy decided not to push it for now. He was just too tired to care. In a heartbeat he was sound asleep, his forehead resting against the cool window.

It unnerved Johnny when Roy fell asleep. He was afraid he wasn't going to wake up again. Then he noticed Roy's vastly improved colour and that he wasn't sweating. No, this time he was just sleeping. Relieved, he concentrated on his driving for the long trip to Rampart.

XXXXX

Despite Roy's grumbling, Johnny loaded him into a wheel chair and rolled him into the emergency entrance. As they made their way through the crowded corridors, Roy realized he may never know exactly what happened and that he was okay with that. All he really cared about was getting back to one hundred percent so he could get back to work.

"Roy?!" Dixie wasn't sure which of the conflicting emotions she should feel. Relief, definitely. Dr. Brackett had nearly had a cranial haemorrhage when she told him what she'd allowed to happen. Mingled with that was joy that Roy seemed to be all right. Also flashing through her mind was wonder at his quick recovery as well as suspicion about what Johnny had done.

"Hi,Dixie," Roy replied, a lop-sided grin on his tired face.

Dr. Brackett strode up to them, his face dark with anger. "If you do anything like that again, Gage, I'll report you to the police."

"Hopefully, Dr. Bracket, that won't be a problem." Johnny wheeled Roy into exam two.

XXXXX

A battery of tests later and Johnny was pushing Roy toward his Jeep. Other than being tired, hungry and thirsty there wasn't anything wrong with the senior paramedic that a few days rest wouldn't cure.

"Dr. Brackett was really angry with you," he stated as they rolled across the parking lot.

"Well, I kind of kidnapped you and Dixie helped."

"Why did you kidnap me? Why was I in the hospital to begin with?"

"It's a long story Roy. Maybe someday when we're old and grey I might actually tell you the whole thing."

"Fine. Just take me home, okay? All I want right now is my own bed."

Grinning, Johnny reminded himself to call station 51 and let them know Roy was okay. As well he was going to have to try to write a report on all this. Battalion was never going to believe it but that was okay. Roy was going to be fine after a few days rest, nothing else really mattered. Still grinning, Johnny continued across the parking lot, humming off key.

THE END


	2. Chapter 2

Here' s the rest of the story. I hope you like it. Sorry I didn't split it up into chapters, I'm still learning the ins and outs of the site. Thank you for reading.

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XXXXX

When he had Roy settled in the passenger seat of his Jeep and had taken the wheel chair back, Johnny climbed in behind the steering wheel and started the motor. "Is it okay if we stop by the Station? 'A' shift will be in and they'll want to see you. They were all pretty worried about you, Roy."

"Sure." All he really wanted to do was go home and sleep. "How long has it been since the rescue?"

"Nearly a week."

"What!" The world seemed to spin a little as he tried to assimilate that information.

XXXXX

The rest of the trip to Station 51 was made in silence; each man preoccupied with his own thoughts. Pulling up in the employee parking lot, Johnny parked in his usual spot and killed the engine. Beside him, Roy was dozing. Rather than wake him, he got out of the SUV and headed inside.

They'd timed it perfectly. The Station was just sitting down to lunch. "Hey guys," Johnny called upon entering the common room. "Roy's outside if you'd like to see him."

Almost as one, all 6 men stood up from their meals and trooped outside. "How is he?" Captain Stanley asked.

"Tired and weak," Johnny replied as they paced through the garage. "But he's awake."

"Has the hospital released him?"

"Yeah, we just left there." The men gathered around the passenger side of the Jeep.

"Hey, Roy." Johnny gently shook his shoulder to wake him up, unconsciously holding his breath.

Almost instantly Roy's eyes flew open. Blinking to get the sleep out of his blue eyes, Roy looked around at the smiling faces. "Hi, guys," he said, feeling a little awkward.

"Hi, Roy," Captain Stanley said. The other firemen and two paramedics echoed his sentiments. "How're you doing?"

"Fine, Cap."

"Glad to hear it. You're both on the schedule in three days. Do you think you'll be up to it?" If the senior paramedic wasn't he'd have to pull one from the other stations. His were all ready wearing pretty thin.

"I should be, Cap. Just need a good night sleep and a good meal and I'll be fine." He wasn't really sure of that but he couldn't afford to take another week off work.

"Great! Well, Johnny had better get you home. We'll see you Saturday." Captain Stanley wasn't really convinced either, but even at half strength Roy was better than most of the other paramedics. He'd take his help any way he could get it.

"Okay. Thanks, Cap." Johnny bound into his seat while Roy nodded at Mike Stoker, Marco Sanchez, Chet Kelly and the two paramedics from "C" shift. The men filed back into the Station to finish their lunch. Johnny pulled out onto the street and took a left at the next corner.

XXXXX

"Do you need help?" Johnny had pulled up in front of Roy's house.

"Nah. Thanks for the ride." Roy pulled his keys out of his jacket pocket, opened the vehicle's door and climbed out.

"I'll come by and check on you tomorrow." Johnny peered through the passenger window at his partner.

"Sure. See you then." With a wave of his hand, Roy headed up his sidewalk.

It took him a few tries to get the key in the lock and open the front door. The entire time he could feel Johnny's eyes boring into his back as he waited for him to go inside. Finally, he pushed the door open and stepped into his living room. Roy shut the door behind him and locked it. Shuffling into the kitchen he raided anything he could find in the fridge and wolfed it down. 

While he chewed the final bite, he placed the dishes he'd made in the sink and headed for the bedroom. Weary beyond words, he had enough time to kick his shoes off, shrug out of his jacket and undo the buttons on his shirt then he collapsed on top of the covers and was instantly asleep.

XXXXX

Bam! Bam!

Several seconds passed before Roy realized the sound had been someone pounding on his front door. Feeling rumpled and dirty, he struggled to his feet and headed in the direction of the incessant pounding. By the time he reached the door, his head was pounding along with Johnny's fist. 

"Yeah, yeah." Roy grumbled. He could plainly see his partner's concerned face through the glass plates on his front door. From the degree of concern, he'd probably been out there a while. Unlocking the deadbolt, Roy stepped back, blinking in the bright sunlight that followed Johnny inside. Damn, but it hurt his head.

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked as he turned to face the elder paramedic once he was inside his house. He'd been outside for nearly ten minutes knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell to get his attention. Now that he was looking Roy in the eye he knew something was up. The pain was clouding his blue eyes and he looked like he'd been sleeping despite it being four o'clock in the afternoon. 

"Sure." Roy replied, trying to avoid looking directly at his friend. Truth be told he felt like crap. The pain rolling through his head was reminiscent of the headache he'd had before all of this started. The thought did nothing to appease the growing sense of fear he felt burning in his belly.

"Well you look awful."

"Gee, thanks. I feel so much better." To forestall further conversation, Roy headed into the kitchen. He was suddenly famished. On his way by, he glanced at the clock above the TV set and had to stop from reacting physically to the time. How could that be? It has been just around one when he'd lain down and Johnny said he'd be by to check on him the next day. His head and world reeling, he puttered around, trying to figure out what to cook.

"Did you just wake up?" Johnny asked. In the four years he'd known Roy, he'd never known him to sleep more than seven – eight hours at a time. This was not a good sign. In his jeans pocket he absently played with the piece of paper with Dean's phone number on it. 

"Yeah, I guess so. I must have been more tired than I'd realized." So far he'd managed to put a pot on the stove but he stood staring at it, unsure of what to put inside it. The pounding in his head was making the light reflecting off the pot's bottom pulse. Watching it was making him feel a little queasy. With a shaking hand, he wiped at his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes that helped.

"Sit down." Johnny steered Roy to the nearest chair and forced him to sit in it. If he didn't know any better he'd think that his friend was drunk or on drugs, he was so disconnected from reality. In a cupboard he found a tin of tomato soup. Opening it, he whisked in a tin of milk and set it to heat. "What's going on? Do you need to go back to the hospital?"

"No." The response was automatic. He hated hospitals when it came to staying in them. Roy wasn't sure what was going on but he didn't want to be poked and prodded. "I just have a headache."

Johnny rummaged around in the cupboard above the stove until he came up with a bottle of Advil. Shaking two of them into his hand, he replaced the bottle and got out a glass. "Here, take these," he instructed upon filling the glass with water. 

Rather than argue, Roy took the offered pills, popped them into his mouth and swallowed the contents of the glass. Part of him hoped it would help with the pain, the other part knew it wouldn't.

"How long have you had the headache?" Johnny was more concerned than he wanted to let on. Roy's face was pale and dark circles hung under his eyes. He looked a lot like he had before they met Dean. 

"Don't know. Since I woke up." Roy really wasn't much in the mood to talk. The smell of the cooking soup had reawakened his hunger but mostly he just wanted to go back to bed. 

"Here." Johnny had refilled the glass and put it in Roy's listless hand. "Why don't you go take a shower while the soup's cooking? Maybe you'll feel better."

Despite that being the last thing on his list of priorities right now, Roy agreed and shuffled off toward the bathroom. Maybe a shower would help. Anything was worth a try at this point.

Johnny waited until he heard the fan start and the water running before pulling out his cell phone. Quickly he dialed Rampart and impatiently waited for someone to pick up.

"Rampart Emergency, Nurse McCall speaking." The relief that flowed through his system was nearly enough to bring Johnny to his knees. 

"Hi, Dixie. It's Johnny," he said into the receiver. While he talked he moved toward the bathroom door, just to make sure Roy wasn't going to catch him. He would not been too happy if he did.

"Hi, Johnny. What's up?" 

"I'm worried about Roy." Silence on the other end of the line met that statement. Johnny could almost hear the head nurse's brain running through the possibilities from here.

"Why. What's wrong with him?" She asked finally.

"He has a headache and when I got here five minutes ago I woke him up." As much to relieve the tension building up between his shoulder blades as anything else, Johnny walked over to the stove and began stirring the soup.

"He's been through a lot Johnny. Maybe he needed the sleep." Down the hallway, Dixie saw Joe Early, MD walking toward her. She caught his eye and nodded. He came up to the desk to listen in on her side of the conversation.

"No. I don't think that's it. Something's not right. He's muddled. He couldn't remember how to cook."

"Roy never was very good at it. What are his vital signs?"

"I haven't had a chance to check them. He doesn't want to come to the hospital. I sent him to go take a shower while the soup cooked." Johnny realized suddenly how silly this conversation must sound.

"If he doesn't want to come in there isn't much we can do for him. Keep an eye on him. If anything seems to change, let me know immediately." Dixie looked into the older doctor's face and found her own concern reflected there. Dr. Early pulled a note pad out of his pocket and wrote a few words. Finished, he showed it to Dixie.

"Johnny, Dr. Early's here and says he's off in two hours. He'll stop by and check on Roy if you'd like." 

"Just don't tell him I called. He'll be furious." His partner was nothing if not independent. He would hate that Johnny had done this behind his back.

"Sure thing. Bye for now." An emergency was being pushed through the receiving doors and she had to get back to work. Not waiting for a response, she hung up the phone.

"Thanks, Dixie," Johnny said. The water stopped running in the shower. Guiltily, Johnny slid his cell phone back into its case on his belt and turned his full attention to the merrily bubbling soup.

It seemed to take a long time for Roy to come back into the kitchen. He was wearing a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt and his hair was still wet. While he seemed a little more aware, he still didn't have much color to his complexion. Choosing to ignore that, Johnny placed a steaming bowl in front of him and placed a spoon and crackers down beside it.

"Feeling better?" he asked as he sat down across from the older man.

"Yeah. A bit." Roy tried to flash his partner a smile but it looked a little strained. Hungrily, he broke some crackers in the soup and dug in. One benefit to eating, he wasn't expected to talk.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Johnny asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Sleep?" Roy suggested around a mouthful of crackers.

"Have you seen the latest movie out on video? It's been a while since we had a movie night." Johnny knew it was a lame suggestion but it was the best he could come up with. "Or we could invite some of the guys over and play poker."

"Movies sound good." Roy wasn't feeling up to having a bunch of company, much less trying to keep the cards straight in his head. The Advil had helped marginally but the lights still strobed in time to the pounding of his head.

"Great. While you finish the soup I'll head out and rent a couple. How do you feel about Italian? I haven't had supper yet."

"Sounds good to me." Right now Roy would eat just about anything. He couldn't remember ever being this hungry or food ever tasting this good before. The first bowl gone, he filled it up again.

"Back in a flash."

XXXXX

The first thing Johnny noticed upon pulling up in front of Roy's house was that it was dark. The sun had set about twenty minutes ago, long enough that the older paramedic should have turned on something. The bags clutched in his left arm, he headed up the sidewalk and knocked on the front door. No response. Terror creeping into his mind and body he tried the door handle. It was unlocked. Cautiously he stepped inside and set the bags on top of the table beside the TV. "Hey Roy?" he called out. 

The room was dark. Feeling with his right hand Johnny found the light switch by the door and flicked it on. The living room was just as it had been before. He had the presence of mind to shut the door behind him before making his way to the kitchen.

The stove was off and the dishes in the sink but no sign of Roy. The bathroom was similarly empty. The hallway was dark and kind of eerie given recent circumstances. Johnny had to search to find the light switch. Blinking in the sudden light he paced down the hallway to Roy's room. The hall light outlined a rectangle of the hardwood floors but the rest of the room was in darkness. Standing still, he could just make out breathing beyond the light. "Roy?" he called again. No response.

Searching the wall just inside the doorway, he turned on the overhead light. Sprawled over the covers was Roy. He appeared to be sleeping soundly. Kneeling down beside his friend's head, Johnny gently took his pulse. It was strong but fast.

Ding-dong. Johnny nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the doorbell. Moving away from the bed, he stood up and went to see who was there. 

"How's Roy?" Dr. Early asked from the doorstep. 

"Not good," was all Johnny would say. Silently he led the older man to the bedroom.

"Help me roll him over." Dr. Early said. From a bag he'd brought in with him, he pulled out a stethoscope and B.P. cuff. Within minutes he had the elder paramedic's life signs.

"Well, apart from the fact he didn't wake up when we moved him he appears to be in perfect health," he stated as he put his gear back in the bag.

"That's what they said last time." Johnny knew that the doctor was doing his best but he had the funny feeling that it wasn't going to be enough.

"Hey, Dr. Early. What are you doing here?" Roy asked. Looking between the doctor and his partner, he had the feeling he'd missed something important. It was hard to concentrate because of the lethargy that had taken over but he tried.

"Checking on you, Roy. Johnny here was worried." Dr. Early was watching the elder paramedic very closely to see if there were any signs of distress or sickness. Apart from slightly blurry vision from waking up, he didn't see anything that alarmed him.

"Sorry, Doc. I know he means well but you didn't need to travel all the way out here for this."

"It was my pleasure, Roy. You get some more sleep and I'll stop by on my way to work in the morning." His kit packed up, he nodded at the two men and took his leave.

"Why did you have to drag him into this?" Roy asked as he pushed himself out of bed. He felt like he could use another shower but that would just make Johnny even more worried so he didn't mention it.

"I was worried. I just didn't want to take the chance that you were relapsing," Johnny replied. Turning, he left the bedroom and grabbed the bags. "How's microwaved Italian sound to you?"

XXXXX

Saturday morning came all too soon. Johnny was the first one in and was changed before most of 'A' shift even showed up. The last one to come through the doors was Roy. He seemed like his old self again. The exhaustion was gone from his face and he had more colour than Johnny had seen in him since before the rescue. Thursday night they'd eaten the food he'd brought and watched the movies just like old times. Friday Johnny had been busy doing his laundry and getting ready for his shift the next day. He'd talked to Roy on the phone but did not actually see him.

The other members of 'A' shift welcomed the senior paramedic with open arms. Captain Stanley didn't even make him cook for the day even though it was his turn. Whether that was a kindness to Roy or the other firemen, Johnny wasn't sure. Roy was good at many things. Cooking was not one of them. Fifteen minutes into their shift the bells went off.

"Station 51, Engine 81, Engine 32 and Ladder 55. Structure fire. 15234 Merrill St. 15234 Merrill St. Cross street Main. Time out 8:15." Blared over the intercom.

Station 51 headed for the vehicles. Captain Stanley stopped by the base station to acknowledge the call and write down the address for the Squad. Handing it to Roy, he sprinted for the Engine and took his seat in the front beside Mike Stoker.

"Sounds like a big one," Johnny commented as he took the piece of paper from Roy.

"Sure does," Roy agreed. Eagerly, he put the Squad in gear and headed out of the garage, sirens and lights going. The Engine fell in behind and picked up speed.

XXXXX

Four blocks away they could see the smoke billowing from the fire. By the time they came up on the building the heat was palatable. Parking the Squad across the street, Roy leapt out. On the other side of the vehicle, Johnny donned his turnout jacket and helmet. Coming around he headed over to the Engine to find out what Captain Stanley wanted them to do.

"John, you and Roy grab a 2 and a half inch hose. There's no indication so far that there's anyone inside. Until there is, I'm not sending either of you in there," he instructed. He turned to Mike Stoker and began to give orders to the other three firemen.

"Come on, Roy," Johnny said over his shoulder as he headed toward the back of the engine to get the hose. Reaching it, he turned expecting his partner to be beside him. He wasn't. "Roy?"

In the confusion of the other equipment arriving, it took a moment for Johnny to spot the older paramedic. Still standing beside the Squad, Roy had yet to put his turnout or helmet on. He stood transfixed, watching the flames billowing out of the broken windows. His face held a look of awe, wonder and ecstasy that set Johnny's nerves on edge.

"Hey, Roy?" Engineer Mike Stoker had also noticed the motionless paramedic. Concerned, he went up to Roy and put a hand on his shoulder. It felt like he'd put his hand in a freezer. Surprised, he pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned. Not sure what else to do, he looked around for help. Seeing Johnny heading toward them, he took a step back. Something was definitely not quite right here.

"Roy?" Johnny said as he came within distance to be heard. He glanced at Stoker before getting too close. There was no response. Moving into Roy's direct line of sight, he tried again. "Roy. We need to get going."

"Huh?" It was all he could do to pull his eyes away from the flames. He'd never noticed before the intensity of their colour, the beauty of their dance as they moved through the building. Nothing else in the world seemed quite as important.

"Roy!" Johnny caught hold of his left shoulder and shook it. Hard. The chill emanating from him was all too familiar.

"What!" Roy turned his full attention to his partner. For a split second Johnny saw the fire reflected in his blue eyes. His stomach dropped three feet. It was back.

"Ah, we need to start working a hose. Captain's orders," he replied. Out of the corner of his eye, Johnny could see the troubled expression on Mike Stoker's face. He felt it too.

"Sure." Roy started toward the engine. Johnny caught hold of him and stopped him.

"You might want to put on your jacket and helmet first," he suggested. What was he going to do? There was no way he could perform the ritual to exorcise the demon again. He wasn't even sure that it would work; apparently it hadn't the first time. Shouldn't killing the main demon have been enough? None of this was making any sense. Or at least less sense than usual lately.

"Good idea," Roy stated. As if in a daze, the senior paramedic moved slowly to pull his helmet out of the squad and don his turnout coat. Fully clothed, he turned toward his partner who had remained close by. "Lead the way."

Terrified but trying desperately not to show it, Johnny headed toward where Captain Stanley had wanted them. He took the front end of the hose and waited for Roy to take the back end. The two and a half inch hoses had a lot of power and were too strong for just one person to control. There was a strange glint in Roy's eye as he accepted the hose. Turning his attention to the job at hand, Johnny opened the hose and began to spray down the area of the structure directly in front of him.

XXXXX

Time seemed to slow down. He managed to get the fire in front of them under control and was moving onto the next section. There was something mesmerizing about the flames as they danced and flared. A distant part of Johnny's mind thought that the heart of the flames must be what hell was like.

"Gage, DeSoto!" Captain Stanley called. The captain was standing several feet away talking with a pair of security guards.

Johnny turned the hose off and sprinted to see what he had to say. "Yeah, Cap?"

"Security is telling me that there are two people still inside. As near as they can tell they're on the second floor. The best access is from the back. Take your radio in case you need help."

XXXXX

Two more engines were at the back of the structure soaking down the walls with streams of water. There was also a ladder truck that was working at keeping the roof from being consumed. It was a four-story building. At one time it had been a warehouse but it had since gone through many manifestations and was now an upscale housing project. People paid big bucks for the industrial lofts that were now going up in flames. The first and second floors were not yet involved. So far they'd managed to keep it to the third floor and part of the fourth. 

Air masks and oxygen tanks all ready in place, Johnny led the way into the back door. Hoses were stretched across the threshold and were laid up through to the third floor. Behind him, Johnny could hear Roy following him as he made his way down the hallway, busting in doors to make sure no one was trapped inside. The first floor clear, he headed up to the next level.

The second floor was obscured in smoke making the search harder. Johnny knew that the firemen from the other stations had probably all ready checked to make sure no one was here but he didn't want to take a chance he was wrong. As he trudged down the hallway, his breath echoing in his ears behind the facemask, he felt the first door and then checked the doorknob. It was unlocked.

A quick check over his shoulder to make sure Roy was still behind him; he pushed the door open and stepped inside. The smoke seemed thicker in this room. Johnny nearly had to get down onto his hands and knees to do the search. Even then the smoke was still billowing around him. The good thing about the loft floor plan was that there weren't many rooms to search. The bathroom and closets clear, he began to make his way toward the door. 

Just as he was within three feet of the threshold a loud crack sounded directly above him. Johnny had enough time to note that Roy had not entered the room at all before the roof came crashing down on top of him. Flames were burning all around his prone body as a massive weight pressed down on him. Unable to take complete breaths despite the mask and tank, Johnny was quickly losing the fight to stay conscious. "Roy!" he called as darkness descended.

XXXXX

Not sure what he'd seen, Engineer Mike Stoker was worried when he hadn't heard anything from the two paramedics within the twenty minutes they'd been gone. The gauges on the engine were remaining steady as it pumped water from the nearest fire hydrant to the various hoses the firemen were using to combat the fire. Captain Stanley was busy orchestrating the whole show so he hadn't really noticed the lack of communication. Fire codes required that the engine be monitored the entire time it was working but Mike just couldn't get the look on Roy's face out of his head. Then Engine 81 reported that the third floor had caved. Swearing under his breath, Mike pulled off his helmet and headed for the squad. Luckily there were always extra masks and oxygen bottles on board.

"Have you seen the two paramedics?" Mike asked. He'd gone around to the back of the building and was talking to the firemen nearest the door.

"Not since they went inside," the fireman at the back end of the hose replied. The fire had been particularly stubborn. They were having a hard time getting it completely under control. Just when they thought they had it it would flare somewhere else. He really hadn't thought about their continued absence until now.

"I'm going in." It had been a while since Mike had been inside a fire. Being an engineer precluded his working the fire hoses most of the time. Still, he didn't hesitate to pull the mask over his face and duck inside.

XXXXX

As Mike reached the second floor, he came upon Roy standing just outside the first room. He was watching something inside with an intensity that unnerved the engineer. Slipping past him, it took a moment for the scene to fully register. Part of the third floor had come crashing down onto the second floor. Burning timbers, sections of drywall and other building materials were ablaze. Through the billowing smoke, the young engineer could just make out a pair of boots. "Johnny?"

Glancing at Roy to make sure he knew where he was, Mike caught hold of the radio clipped to his turnout coat and activated it. "Captain Stanley, this is Mike Stoker. Johnny's trapped on the second floor under some burning material. I'm going to need help getting him out."

"Where are you?" Captain Stanley demanded. He looked over at the side of the engine to confirm that his engineer was not there.

"Second floor, rear of the building." The radio crackled as Captain Stanley began issuing orders. In moments the hallway was crammed with firemen using hoses to put the fire out and pry bars to get the floor joists off the unconscious paramedic. Through it all Roy stood back and watched. Every time Mike glanced at him a chill ran up his spine. Something was very wrong here.

Eventually they were able to get enough of the floor off of Johnny to extract him and put him in a Stokes stretcher. Four firemen carried him down the stairs and around to the front of the building. Mike made sure Roy stayed in front of him as he followed the procession. An ambulance was all ready waiting near the squad as they came around.

"Why didn't you call for help?" Captain Stanley asked Roy. The two paramedics were good friends, virtually inseparable. It made no sense that he would have allowed the younger man to be injured, much less stand by and watch as he slowly burned to death. Because of the size of the fire and its residential nature, two squads had been dispatched. The second set of paramedics were working on Johnny, checking his life signs and the extent of his injuries before contacting Rampart. The senior paramedic was standing nearby, his attention riveted to the fire that continued to rage. The captain waited for a moment or two for him to respond to his question. None was forthcoming.

"DeSoto!" Captain Stanley spun the younger man around so that he was facing him. Maybe Roy was still suffering some ill effects from his earlier experiences. Whatever was going on it had to stop.

"Yes?" Roy answered. He gazed at his captain's face with a mild curiosity.

"You're relieved of duty. I want you back at Rampart. There's something seriously wrong with you." Beyond Roy's left shoulder the paramedics of Squad 110 had begun an IV and were pumping other drugs into the younger paramedic yet Roy didn't seem to care.

"I don't need to go to Rampart," Roy stated.

"I don't care what you think, DeSoto. I want a full check up, then maybe I'll consider letting you back on the roster. Until then, go check on your partner. He's not looking too good." 

Expecting his orders to be carried out, Captain Stanley turned away from Roy and paused by the paramedics. "How's he doing?" he asked.

"Better than we expected," the paramedic responded. "He has burns around the face mask, two injured ribs and a possible broken arm. Rampart will have to take x-rays to determine the full extent of his injuries but he should be fine."

"Make sure you take DeSoto with you in the ambulance. I want a complete check up, something is wrong with him."

"Where's Roy?" the paramedic asked as he looked around the organized mayhem.

"What do you mean,' where's Roy'?" Captain Stanley demanded, quickly he looked behind him to where Roy should be only to find that he was gone.

XXXXX

Upon waking in the emergency department of Rampart General Hospital, the first thought that came to Johnny's mind was the whereabouts of his partner. At first the staff was less than helpful; they didn't want to upset the young paramedic any more than necessary. But, Johnny wouldn't sit still until Dixie finally broke down.

"He's missing," she stated. From his place on the exam table, Johnny began to get up, ignoring his pain.

"When was the last time anyone saw him?" he asked. He had to find his friend. Desperately, he pulled away from Dixie's restraining hands and reached into his pants pocket. Some degree of calm settled over him as he found Dean's card.

"You need to lay down, Johnny," Dr. Brackett ordered. Gently but forcefully he made the wiry man resume his horizontal position. "Once we take x-rays we'll know how bad those ribs and that wrist are. After than we'll see about letting you out to help search."

"Who's searching?" Johnny wanted to leave. Who knew what kind of trouble the demon was getting up to in Roy's body? The pain in his side and arm were inconsequential in comparison.

"LAPD and CHP, not to mention any firemen not on calls. They'll find him," Dr. Brackett tried to reassure him.

"How long until I can get out of here?"

XXXXX

The first thing Johnny did after being released against medical advice was phone Dean. The phone rang three times before it was answered. "Dean, this is Johnny. We have a problem with Roy," he said before the other man had a chance to say anything.

Outside the hospital, he caught up to the paramedics of Squad 110. "Could you give me a ride to Station 51?" he asked, his hand over the mouthpiece of his cell phone.

"Shouldn't you be staying in the hospital?" the elder of the two men asked, looking at Johnny skeptically.

"Can you give me a ride or not? I'll take a taxi if I have to." Looking a little stunned, the man nodded his head yes.

"What kind of problem?" Dean asked finally. He'd been considering whether he really wanted to talk to the firefighter. They'd managed to get away after finishing the job and he wasn't sure if they could do it again. Sam had regained a fair amount of strength the last couple of days but he still wasn't up to one hundred percent.

"Roy's possessed again and now he's missing," Johnny said as he climbed into the cab of Squad 110, ignoring the looks the paramedics were giving him.

"How is that possible? We killed the leader; all of the spawn should have gone with it," Dean wanted to know. 

"I have no idea. He went home three days ago. He was his usual self then today he wasn't himself and his eyes glowed red. He left me buried under debris at a fire. If that doesn't indicate he's not normal, I don't know what will."

"We're sixteen hours away. Try to find him. If he really is possessed Roy's not in charge of what he does. The demon may leave the area or go to familiar haunts, it's hard to know which. I'd start at his house and work from there."

"Thanks Dean. I'll let you know if I find him," Johnny said.

"If you do find him, make sure you secure him with ropes or chains, anything you can. He won't be too happy about it," Dean continued. He' all ready turned the Impala around and was heading back down the highway. Beside him Sam was sleeping fitfully, his long legs pulled up onto the seat as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible. Angrily, Dean ground his teeth. Los Angeles was the last place he wanted to go. There were too many people, too many demons and not enough fresh air. 

Johnny ended the call. His eyes scanning the road and sidewalks, he didn't notice the look that passed between the two paramedics. If he had he wouldn't have cared. This was beyond their experience. Hell, this was beyond anything he could have imagined. When did the world get turned upside down, he wondered. Sighing, Johnny willed the squad to go faster through the late day traffic.

XXXXX

"John. What are you doing here!" Hank Stanley demanded upon seeing the young firefighter enter the garage. He'd all ready pulled in two replacement paramedics to cover for Gage and DeSoto. The day was getting stranger and stranger as time passed and he wasn't sure he liked it.

"I'm just here to pick up my Jeep, Cap," Johnny replied. He'd hoped that maybe engine would be out on a run so he wouldn't have to deal with the questions. Johnny was sure that some of them thought all of this was probably somehow his fault. If he knew whose fault it was, he'd find that person and cause them serious bodily harm.

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?" Captain Stanley had received a report on Gage's injuries and knew that he should have spent at least one night under observation. But then, with Roy missing and clearly not thinking properly, he couldn't have expected any less from him.

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps asking me. No, I don't want to stay in the hospital. I'm not helping anyone there," Johnny stated. As casually as he could he made his way to the locker room to change into his street clothes. His instinct was to dash into the room and change as fast as possible but he squashed the urge. 

"You know everyone's looking for Roy. We were ordered to stay here in case he shows up. Do you know what's going on with him?" Captain Stanley was deeply worried about his eldest paramedic. Roy DeSoto was a rock. Nothing ever seemed to bother him; he was reliable as Old Faithful. His behavior at the fire set his nerves on end. Hank hated it when he was nervous. It meant he didn't have everything under control, like he should.

"Yeah, I think so, Cap. I'd tell you but you probably wouldn't believe me and have me shipped back to Rampart by force. Please believe me. I may not know how to fix Roy but I know someone who does. If you hear anything, could you give me a call on my cell?" Roy would be in even more danger if the authorities got hold of him. How would they react if he started spinning his heads in circles?

"I take it you don't want to go through official channels?" Given Johnny's earlier behavior, kidnapping Roy from the hospital, etc. he doubted official channels would help but he had to ask.

"You're right. Other than locking Roy away for the rest of his life they can't help."

"Okay, John. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." In the common room, Hank could have heard a pin drop. He knew that the other five men on duty were listening in on the conversation. He couldn't blame them. Roy was a member of their crew and their family. Of course they were worried about him.

"Thanks, Cap." Without waiting for any further questions, Johnny left the garage and headed into the locker room. He quickly changed out of his dirty uniform and donned his jeans, shirt, sweater and jacket. Usually after a fire and rescue he would have taken a shower but didn't want to waste the time. Who cared that he smelled of ash and blood.

XXXXX

Roy's house was dark when Johnny pulled up out front of it in his Jeep. Steeling himself, he turned the vehicle off, pocketed the keys and climbed out. The night was cool, sending a shiver up his spine. Or was that fear? Hard to tell. His heart in his throat, he climbed the front stairs and tried the door knob. It was unlocked.

_Damn_, he thought as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Half expecting something to attack him, Johnny ran his hand along the wall and turned the light switch on. After the darkness outside the light was almost blinding but he didn't take the time to let his eyes adjust as he scanned the living room.

Nothing seemed to be out of place. Quickly he made his way through the rest of the house and found it in similar shape. Somehow that wasn't very comforting. Johnny moved over to Roy's closet in his bedroom to see if any of his clothes were missing. Opening the door, he realized he wouldn't make much of a detective. He had no idea what Roy's wardrobe should look like except for the few items he'd seen him wear. Sighing, he closed the door and exited the house. 

On the front step, Johnny paused. The neighborhood was relatively quiet. Off in the distance he could hear the freeway. Closer to him a few cars were cruising the streets but otherwise there really wasn't much going on. No wonder Roy liked it here. Where the hell was he? Johnny wracked his brain trying to come up with ideas but none were forthcoming. The obvious places, like the zoo or the park that Roy used to take his kids before Joanne moved them to Colorado, were closed. _That probably wouldn't stop a demon, _he thought. Sighing again, he headed back to the Jeep.

XXXXX

A day searching and the authorities of Los Angeles were no closer to finding Fireman Roy DeSoto. Johnny was beside himself. He hadn't managed to sleep since his last day off. Not knowing where else to go, he found his Jeep pulling into the parking lot behind Station 51. C shift was on. Pulling into his spot, Johnny put the vehicle in park, pulled the keys out of ignition, climbed out, and shuffled toward the brick building.

Thoughts and ideas churned through Johnny's head as he slowly covered the distance to the side door. His hand reached for the door knob, intent on opening it when he paused. Glancing over his right shoulder, the young paramedic looked at the vehicles lined up along the fence. There was something not quite right but in his muddled state he couldn't quite figure out what it was. In the afternoon sun, the seven vehicles sat silently, waiting for their owners to finish work. 

_I'm really beginning to lose it_, Johnny Gage thought. Shaking his head, he reached again for the door knob. Again his hand stopped short of grasping it. Frustrated, the paramedic turned fully to stare at the cars. Then it dawned on him.

XXXXX

"Cap!" Johnny called, rushing into the garage. Desperately he searched through the locker room and was headed for the common area when Captain Johnson, the man in charge of C shift, appeared from his office door.

"Gage? What are you doing here?" he asked, confused. Clearly the paramedic was excited about something. Maybe there was information about his missing partner; Johnson just wasn't sure what it had to do with him.

"Did anyone have Roy's car towed away?" Roy's car was in the parking lot when Johnny had left yesterday. Now it was gone.

"No. I thought it was still there," Johnson replied. In long strides he moved over to the window to peer at the cars. "It was in the lot when I came in this morning."

"Did the police move it?"

"Not that I've been made aware of. What are you getting at?"

The other members of C shift had begun to drift into the garage. Some of them recognized Johnny's voice from working with him, others were responding to the raised voice.

"If no one took it, maybe Roy did. We could put a BOLO out on his car!"

"Good idea. I'll get on the horn with Battalion. Why don't you go home, you look like you could use some sleep," Captain Johnson stated. He hadn't worked with Johnny often but he could see the dark circles under his eyes and the drawn look of his mouth.

"Why call Battalion? Shouldn't we be letting the LAPD and CHP know?"

"We have to follow procedure, Gage. I'll let you know if anything comes of this."

"Thanks, Cap." Rather than fight with the man, Johnny acknowledge the other firefighters with a nod and headed back toward the Jeep.

XXXXX

"Jon, John Gage, I need some help." Johnny hadn't even made it out of the parking lot before he dialed Jon Baker's cell phone number. Absently, he climbed into the front seat and waited for Jon's response.

"I heard about Roy. I thought all of this was over," Jon replied. The disappearance of DeSoto had sent a shock through the older CHP officer. He'd seen what had happened; he'd seen the presence forced out of the man's body. Surely that was enough.

"So did I. Can you put a BOLO out on Roy's car?"

"Shouldn't that have been done all ready?" Jon was more than willing to help; he just figured that under normal circumstances that would have been one of the first things the police would have thought of. 

"His car was still at the station this morning, now it's gone. I don't think anyone considered that he might take it. I sure didn't. What does a demon need with a car?" Johnny turned the vehicle over and began to pull out of the parking lot.

"Okay, I'll put it out on the CHP system. Do you know the tag number?"

Quickly, Johnny rattled off the number.

"Where is Dean? Does he know that Roy's in trouble again?"

"He knows but he was out of town when I called him. I expect him to get back to me anytime now."

"I'll put this out over the phone. Where do you want me to meet you?"

XXXXX

The only place John could think to meet was Roy's house. On his way there his cell phone rang. Flipping it open, Johnny put it to his ear. "Hello?" He hadn't taken the time to glance at the call display, not while driving, and so had no idea who was calling.

"Any sign of him?" Dean asked.

"No. I'm headed to Roy's house to meet Jon Baker." Relief spread through Johnny's body. Maybe there was still hope of saving his friend.

"Give me the address."

XXXXX

When Johnny pulled up in front of Roy's house, he found Jon Baker sitting on the front step. He tall blond CHP officer stood upon seeing Johnny climb out of his vehicle and waited. He'd put the BOLO out as soon as he'd hung up, he'd even convinced LAPD to do the same. Dimly, he wondered if this wasn't all a bad dream.

"Any news?" Johnny asked as he came up the sidewalk.

"Nothing so far. It's just going to take time."

"I just hope we have time to waste. Dean should be here shortly. Did you check the front door?"

"No. I thought I'd wait for you before I go breaking and entering," Jon responded, a crooked grin creeping across his face despite his best efforts.

Not bothering to reply, Johnny tried the door knob. He couldn't remember if he'd locked it the last time he was here. Apparently he had because the knob wouldn't turn. "Roy keeps a spare key around back. Give me a minute."

The young firefighter quickly made his way to the back of his friend's house. It felt kind of strange to be here without Roy but he squashed the feeling and searched around the propane barbeque. Nothing. Thinking he might have made a mistake, Johnny searched again. This time he came up with the metal case the key had been in but it was empty. Cursing under his breath, he headed back to Baker.

"It's not there," he stated as he approached the taller man. A familiar black Impala pulled up behind Johnny's Jeep. Casually, Dean climbed out from behind the steering wheel. He paused long enough to glance up and down the street to see if their arrival had produced any reaction. Everything was quiet as Sam slowly got out of the passenger side.

Quietly, the two men waited for the brothers to join them. It was good to see Sam vertical for the first time since they'd met him but he still appeared pale and a little weak. Evidently he was still suffering ill effects from his possession.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Dean growled when he was in range for them to hear him. Nothing got the neighbors talking like strange men hanging out in front of a house that did not belong to them. Civilians.

"The door's locked and the key is missing," Johnny tried to defend their actions. 

"Of course it is," Dean muttered under his breath. Casting a dubious look at the police officer, the eldest Winchester pulled a small leather case out of his jacket pocket. The CHP officer wasn't his idea, he hated dealing directly with any authority figure, especially the ones that could throw him in jail for what he was about to do. Expertly, Dean picked the lock using the tools in the leather case. Standing up, he pushed the door open.

Out of the corner of Dean's eye he saw movement down the hallway. "Whoa," he breathed as he glanced at his companions before entering the house.

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked. He'd been standing back on the step and didn't have direct line of sight through the door.

"I think someone's here," Dean replied. Ignoring the CHP, he slipped his right hand under his coat to grip the gun in the back of his pants. Just in case.

"Is it Roy?" Johnny tried to force his way inside but was brought up short by Jon and Sam. The last thing they needed was for the paramedic to get in the way.

"Not unless he has long blonde hair," Dean quipped. He made his way into the hallway. A quick check of the living revealed that it was empty. The kitchen was likewise vacant. Soundlessly, Jon checked the bathroom. The two men met at the closed door leading to Roy's bedroom. Clearly the Winchester brothers had some military training, Jon decided as he nodded to Dean to open the door.

"Get out of here!" a female voice shrieked as the two men burst into the room. On the other side of the bed cowered a young woman, her long blonde hair obscuring her face. Jon had his weapon trained on her. She may be young but that didn't mean that she could be trusted not to try to hurt them. Cautiously, he watched her as he took four steps into the room so he could make sure she was alone. She was.

"What are you doing here?" the CHP demanded. He still had his gun in his hand but it was no longer pointed directly at her. 

"I was waiting for Roy. He should be off today but he's not here. Who are you?" the girl exclaimed, her voice in the higher octaves.

"Roy's never mentioned you to me," Johnny said. He'd entered the bedroom and was shocked to see the young woman. "What are you doing here?"

"Roy's my boyfriend," the woman stated, the conviction in her voice was almost scary. A satisfied expression settled on her face, making her look almost beautiful. "He saved me from a burning car four weeks ago. We've been going slow but that'll change soon."

"What are you talking about?" Johnny asked. The woman was vaguely familiar but he wasn't sure. He certainly did know that Roy didn't know she was his girlfriend. The divorce had been very painful for the older paramedic. Joanne was his soul mate but she couldn't stand being married to a fireman. Roy couldn't imagine doing anything else. He'd been willing to look for alternative employment but Joanne hadn't given him the chance before she'd loaded the kids up in the car and left with them. Johnny knew there was no way his friend would be involved with anyone, much less a woman of her young age.

Sam had come down the hallway and stood silently with his brother and the CHP officer. The scene unfolding before them was bizarre. In part of his mind, though, things were beginning to click. "What do you mean 'that'll change soon'?" he asked, imposing himself between the irate fireman and the woman who'd finally gained her feet.

Slyly, she looked up into the younger Winchester's face. He was extremely handsome, his dark grey eyes filled with compassion. "I put a spell on him," she admitted, a smile beginning. Giggling, she dropped her eyes and then glanced back up at him.

"What!" Johnny and Jon erupted, nearly in unison. Neither of them could believe what the silly woman had just said.

"What kind of spell?" Sam asked, carefully keeping the edge out of his voice. Clearly the woman was suffering from some form of mental illness. He just hoped that she hadn't gotten too deep into supernatural waters for Roy's sake.

"A friend told me how to do it. Would you like to see?" The woman was now flirting with the younger Winchester, all of her attention on the man. The other three may not have even existed in her mind.

"Yes, please," Sam responded. A smile lighted up her features. The woman caught hold of Sam's hand and led him to the side of the bed. She let go long enough to kneel down beside the bed then she pulled the area rug up to reveal markings drawn on the hardwood floor beneath.

"See," she said, pleased with herself. "My friend Isabella gave me a picture of what to draw and the words to say. She said it was a sure way to make the man of your dreams fall in love with you."

Sam ignored her prattling as he gazed at the runes the woman had created. Whoever Isabella was, she was deeply mistaken about what the pentagram really meant. Or maybe she wasn't. That was a consideration for a later time, he decided. Across the bed from him Dean had also pulled the rug up and was examining the runes. His face was darkening in anger so Sam knew he realized what they were dealing with as well.

"What do you mean the man of your dreams!" Johnny demanded. It was all he could do to keep from pounding this stupid creature into the dirt. Clearly she had no real concept of what she'd done; otherwise he would have caused her severe bodily harm.

"Roy saved me. He is my soul mate." The woman didn't even turn to look at Johnny as she answered him; her eyes were firmly set on Sam. Evidently she may have found a new person to obsess about.

"Roy doesn't even know who you are," Johnny retorted. He could see the concern on the Winchester brothers' faces and knew they were in trouble. Or, more likely, Roy was in trouble. "What's going on?" he asked them.

"We have to see the whole thing," Sam hedged. Dean grasped his side of the bed, Sam did the same and they picked it up and set it against the far wall, its sheets and pillows falling to the floor in a lump. Likewise, they caught hold of the rug and lifted it straight up, being careful to not smudge any of the pentagram or its drawings. Stepping back, they again examined the runes.

"Well?" Johnny questioned. He hated not knowing what was going on. Jon caught hold of the woman's nearest arm and waited for the verdict as well.

"What do you think, Sammy?" Dean asked. He was pretty sure he knew what it meant but he wanted a second opinion from his brother, he was better at reading this carp than he was.

"Definitely not a love spell." Sam was pacing around the pentagram. He didn't like what he was finding. "It looks more like a summoning spell for a specific demon. I'm going to have to do some research to determine which one. I'd guess it wasn't a friendly one, though."

"A summoning spell?" Johnny repeated. "You mean a demon's taken over Roy's body again?"

"That's what it looks like. Give us some time to figure out who she called and we'll be able to find a way to exorcise the bastard," Dean said, hoping desperately he was telling them the truth.

"What about her?" Jon asked. The woman was still staring at Sam, her eyes almost feral in their intensity. Looking at her was giving him the creeps.

"She needs to go to a rubber room somewhere," Dean stated under his breath.

"Is Bruce working today?" Johnny asked. If he was on duty he would take her into Rampart himself for observation on the psychiatric ward but he wasn't and neither was Jon.

"Yeah," Jon responded. He pulled his cell phone off his belt and hit speed dial. After the rescue he and Bruce had both decided to go against regulations and carry their phones on duty. The blond CHP officer had a suspicion of what Johnny wanted to do and he agreed with it. The woman needed help before she hurt anyone else, like Sam.

The cell rang four times before it was picked up. "Bruce Nelson," his partner's voice said. Behind him, Baker could hear the sounds of the freeway.

"Bruce, it's Jon. I've got a favor to ask."

"What kind of favor?" Bruce asked. Before meeting Dean and Sam he wouldn't have hesitated to offer his partner his help. Now he wanted to know what he was getting into before he made a judgment.

"We're at Roy's house. There's a girl here that needs to be admitted to a hospital for psychiatric observation. She's created some sort of spell to make Roy fall in love with her but instead she's summoned a demon. Could you come and do that? Johnny and I are both off duty."

"Is something wrong with Roy?" Bruce asked. 

"Yes. Why?"

"I just saw him drive by in his car," was the response.

"What! Can you stop him?" Jon asked. He glanced at Johnny, hope beginning to burn in his heart.

"I'm in a cruiser for the day so I could if I wanted to, yes. Why would I want to?" Bruce had unconsciously sped up to keep the blond paramedic in sight. Traffic was light but it was approaching evening rush hour. That wouldn't last long.

"He's possessed. We've had the CHP, LAPD, and fire department out searching for him for the last day or so."

"Possessed? Didn't we all ready deal with that?" Bruce could feel himself being pulled back into the Twilight Zone. He didn't like it.

"Yes, we did. But, thanks to this girl we have to do it again. Do you have back up? He's not the Roy you know, he could be dangerous."

"Great. Hold onto the girl. I'll get back to you as soon as I've got him in custody. Do you want me to take him to a hospital?" Bruce figured he knew the answer but he had to ask.

"No. Bring him here." Jon rattled off Roy's address.

"Okay. I'll be back in touch as soon as I can." The cell went dead. Jon turned to look at four pairs of expectant eyes. 

"Bruce just saw Roy. He's going to try to pull him over and bring him here," he explained. The woman began to try to get out of his grasp. She loved Roy but wasn't ready to face him. Isabelle said the spell would take three weeks to work. It hadn't been long enough yet. "Stop fighting!"

Tired of dealing with the unstable woman, Jon pulled out his handcuffs and expertly slipped them on her. "Stop it!" he ordered. "Or I'll let Johnny deal with you."

One look at the angry fireman and she quieted down. If she looked too closely she could see her death in his brown eyes. For his part, Johnny stood by the doorway. The news of Roy being found had sent a spike of relief through his system but he was still concerned for his friend. They still didn't have Roy. He could be injured in the capture or in the exorcism the Winchesters were going to have to perform. Nothing was certain.

XXXXX

Traffic was getting heavier. Fear began to gnaw at Bruce's stomach as he pulled up within two car lengths of Roy DeSoto's car. The man was driving carefully, not calling any undue attention to himself. Bruce knew he only had ten minutes before the freeway was going to be too crowded for him to safely take the fireman in. Gritting his teeth, he pushed harder on the accelerator and closed the distance between them.

Bruce saw Roy glance at him in his rear view mirror. A look of complete hatred spread across the blond mans face. The expression was so out of place on Roys usually happy countenance that the young CHP officer knew that Jon had been telling the truth. The freeway was momentarily clear around them. Without pausing to think, Bruce rammed Roys Chevrolet in the rear quarter panel, the p.i.t. manoeuvre or precision immobilization technique. The sudden movement caused the Chevrolet to spin out, striking the right guard rail and skidding for several feet before it came to rest.

Pulling up beside the disabled vehicle, Bruce vaulted out of the squad car and raced to the driver side, his weapon drawn. Inside he found Roy slumped over the steering wheel, a large gash leaking blood into his left eye. Cautiously, Bruce reached for the door handle and opened the door, his gun still aimed at the firefighter, just in case. Are you okay?" he asked out of habit. There was no response.

"Probably just as well," Bruce muttered to himself. Rather than take a chance, he slipped handcuffs over the firefighter's wrists. Satisfied that he wasn't going to go anywhere, he pulled Roy out of the vehicle as carefully as he could by himself and hauled him over to the cruiser. Opening the back door, he placed the unconscious firefighter into the back seat where he could be restrained in case he woke up. 

On his way down the freeway, he called in the damaged car to make sure it would be cleaned up to prevent any further accidents. Then he settled in for the drive to Roy's house. Sergeant Getrare was not happy when he'd taken himself off duty. He was supposed to be on his way back to headquarters, not the other end of Los Angeles.

XXXXX

"Have you found out everything you needed to?" Johnny asked anxiously. The Winchester brothers had spent the last hour doing research on the internet and books that they had with them. While he'd tried to follow what they were discussing he had to admit he got a little lost.

"Not everything," Sam stated. He was still pouring over a journal, his forehead creased in concentration.

"Can you do this?" Johnny persisted. It was his best friend they were going to be experimenting on. He wanted to make sure they were as prepared as possible. Roy not surviving the procedure was not a possibility.

"Sure," Dean quipped. He was staring at the computer screen. Research was not his favourite part of the job but when necessary he would do it. Sam was the one who had the talent and patience for this and he was happy to leave it to him.

"Maybe," Sam hedged. He wasn't looking forward to the exorcism. The demon involved was particularly nasty. Scenes from The Exorcist kept coming unbidden to his mind.

"Bruce's here," Jon announced from the doorway. He'd been standing watch for when his young partner arrived.

Johnny covered the distance quickly. His heart was in his throat until he saw Roy lying in the backseat. Despite everything he knew, it still looked like the Roy DeSoto he knew and loved. Fear spiked again because of what his friend was going to have to endure. Wasn't once enough?

"Help me get him inside," Bruce said. He had to get back to headquarters. Getrare had all ready called him twice on the radio. He wasn't going to be very popular when he did get back.

The two men picked Roy up and carried him into the living room. The brothers were still preparing the bedroom for the rite. They needed to use the original pentagram so Johnny and Bruce placed him on the couch. Jon and Bruce had a brief discussion by the door, their voices low, while Johnny examined his friend. Then Bruce left, forcing the woman to walk in front of him. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to Getrare.

Roy was a little leaner looking about the face and had dark circles under his eyes. His heart rate was fast. Johnny imagined his blood pressure was too. When he pulled open Roy's eyes to check his reflexes, Johnny found the familiar red flash. _Damn it_, he thought.

Sam and Dean were hauling the dresser out of the bedroom. They deposited it in the living room before returning to the bedroom to also remove the small TV stand. As Johnny watched, the bed was similarly removed but left propped up against the hallway wall. "Are you ready?" the young paramedic asked.

"Give us another minute or two. Is he still secure?" Sam asked. Perspiration was building up on his forehead. The room was actually a little chilly so it couldn't have been from that. Distantly Johnny wondered how well the younger Winchester really was.

"Yes. But I don't want to drag this on any longer than necessary," Johnny replied. He was momentarily distracted by Bruce leaving.

"We're as ready as we're going to get," Dean informed them as he entered the living room.

XXXXX

The scene was all too familiar. Johnny and Jon stood at the bedroom door way. Roy was sitting slumped on the floor in the middle of the pentagram. He was still showing no signs of coming around. Dean was to the right, Sam to the left. The incense was burning and the candles had been lit. Johnny said a silent prayer and watched as the brothers began the ritual.

At first there was no real response from Roy. His chin continued to rest on his chest, his breathing remained fairly even and his blue eyes were closed. Johnny was beginning to wonder if the whole process was useless when Roy's head slowly lifted up. 

Red eyes flashed. Johnny felt his body pressed against the wall behind him, his lungs refusing to expand. Fear spiked through his system. His lungs were already burning from lack of oxygen. He barely had enough strength to look to the right. Jon was in the same situation. Red dots were dancing through his eyes. Part of his conscious mind thought he'd better get Sam or Dean's attention, the other part didn't care.

Before either man had a chance to react the pressure stopped. Roy's head leaned back and a primal scream was ripped from his throat. The sound made the hair stand up on the back of Johnny's neck. He was slumped on the ground, taking deep breaths, trying to get the red spots out of his eyes. Beyond the rushing in his ears, he made out more terrible screams from Roy. Desperately Johnny wished the demon didn't sound so much like his friend. It broke his heart to hear such anguish, anger and pain in the older paramedic's voice. There were several loud bangs. Johnny thought they were from the shotgun but he still couldn't see well enough to be sure.

Just as his eyes finally cleared, all sound stopped in the room. Blinking, Johnny looked at Roy, slumped in the middle of the pentagram. The two brothers, looking a little pale, were standing on either side of the pentagram watching the slumped figure intently. Roy was breathing hard, what Johnny could see of his face was slick with perspiration. His eyes were closed, his chin resting on his chest much as it had at the beginning of the ritual.

"Well," Johnny asked. "Is he okay?" The suspense was killing him. Beside him, he could hear Jon stirring from his position propped up against the wall. Evidently he'd finally got enough oxygen in his system to come around too.

"Give us a minute," Dean snapped. He was waiting for a sign from the paramedic. He'd shot the apparition with rock salt as it whirled around the confines of the pentagram. It should be dead. Or sent back to hell but Roy's lack of response wasn't particularly reassuring.

"What does that mean?" Johnny was beside himself with worry. Standing up, he went as close to the edge of the pentagram as he dared. "Roy?"

Ragged breathing was the only response. Then slowly, Roy slid to the floor, curled on his right side. A small groan escaped his lips followed by another.

"Roy?" Johnny called again. Sam took a cautious step forward and gently shook Roy's left shoulder. Across the pentagram Dean waited with the shotgun ready.

The spell broken, Johnny rushed in after Sam and knelt down beside his partner, expertly taking his vital signs.

"Is that a good idea?" Jon asked. He'd gained his feet moments ago. He was new to this exorcism thing but all ready breaking the circle made him very nervous.

"Too late to worry about that now," Dean growled. Trust Sam to think with his heart and not his head. While he was pretty sure the demon was gone, pretty sure wasn't good enough.

"Roy," Johnny said as he brushed some of his blond hair out of his face. Roy was showing signs of coming around. 

XXXXX

The first thing Roy was aware of was that his head didn't hurt as badly. There was still some pain there and his skull felt kind of hollow but it wasn't nearly as bad as he remembered. Man that had been unbelievable. 

The second thing he became aware of was that Roy had no idea where he was. The last think he remembered was crouching on the side of the cliff, waiting for Johnny and Jon to come back with the patient. Even with his eyes closed he could tell that he was no longer outside. The wood floor under his hands and the ache in his back from laying on something hard and straight told him that he was in a house or other structure. Around him he could just make out four people breathing. Then he heard a familiar voice. "Roy?" Johnny said again. There was real fear in his partner's voice, enough to make him force his eyes open.

Pain laced through his skull when the lights struck his eyes but Roy kept them open until he could make out Johnny's concerned face. There was fear and exhaustion evident on his friend's dark features. Roy could swear he saw tears glistening in his eyes. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice coming out in a croak. He was quickly becoming aware of how hungry and thirsty he was. When was the last time he ate? He wasn't sure.

"Roy, is that you?" Johnny asked.

"Who else were you expecting? Of course it's me," Roy responded. He glanced around himself and located the other three people in the room. He only knew two of them. What the hell were they doing in his bedroom and where was his bed?

This was starting to feel a little like de ja vu for Johnny. He was almost light headed with relief. Maybe this was actually over. Paramedic training took over and Johnny handed his friend a bottle of water, only pausing long enough to open it for him.

"What's going on?" Roy asked again. He tried to sit up so that he wouldn't choke on the water but found he was as weak as a newborn kitten. Giving up, he gulped down the water anyway from his position on his side. None of this was making any sense. How did he get there?

"It's kind of a long story, Roy. You won't believe me when I tell you." Johnny took the empty bottle from his friend and then stood up. With practiced ease, he pulled Roy up to his feet and slung him over his shoulder in the fireman carry. Carefully he headed into the living room. They were going to have to put Roy's bedroom back in order before he could lay him down there.

"Try me," Roy stated. It killed him to let the younger man carry him but he all ready knew that he couldn't have covered the distance himself. Self consciously, he glanced over Johnny's shoulder as he deposited him on the couch to look at the three other men. The patient and the man he didn't recognize both looked as wiped out as Johnny. They looked as wiped out as he felt. "Tell me what's going on."

XXXXX

Roy's head reeled. He looked from one man to the next, trying to find some sign that they were pulling his leg. No such luck. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and glanced back at Johnny who was sitting on the coffee table beside the couch. Roy was propped up with pillows in the corner of the couch, a second bottle of water clutched in his hand. The hollow feeling persisted in his skull but with the intake of water his headache had vanished.

"You're serious?" he asked, staring hard at his friend. Darkness had descended hours ago. The lamps burning in the living room illuminated well enough that Roy could see the truth reflected in Johnny's brown eyes. There was a haunted look about those brown depths that hadn't been there the last time he'd seen the man. Something had definitely gone on.

"Yes, I'm serious. If you don't believe me, Jon or Dean or Sam will back me up." Johnny couldn't help himself, he kept a close eye on Roy's blue eyes just in case they flashed red again. He wasn't taking anything for granted this time. He couldn't blame the older man for not believing him. If he hadn't lived through it, he wouldn't have believed it either.

"It all seems a little farfetched, Johnny." Roy relented quickly when he saw the hurt expression on his friend's face. Johnny might over exaggerate but he didn't lie.

"Do you think you need to go to the hospital?" Johnny asked in an effort to change the subject. Jon and Dean were sitting quietly in the living room chairs watching the exchange with interest. Sam had dragged a chair in from the kitchen and was currently sound asleep leaning against the entertainment center. He still wasn't a hundred percent from his own adventure. The exorcism had taken even more out of him than he'd thought.

Roy thought for a second, taking stock of his body. Everything seemed to be in working order. Other than being weak and starving, he couldn't find any reason to bother Drs. Brackett or Early. "No," he responded finally. "But I could really use some food. Is there anything in the fridge?"

"I think there are some leftovers from the other night but how about I order something in. It'll be fresh and you can have all you want." Johnny took Roy's hunger as a good sign. He went to where Roy kept the take out menus in the cupboard in the kitchen, pulled them out and brought them back. "What do you feel like? My treat."

Now Roy knew how concerned his friend really was. Johnny rarely bought supper. Usually it fell to Roy to pay for one reason or another. "I don't care. So long as it's fast."

"Fast it is." 

XXXXX

The food vanished shortly after arriving. Then Jon left. He had the early shift in the morning and needed to get some sleep. Riding a motorcycle through the streets and freeways of Los Angeles County with only a little sleep was a good way to get into an accident. Dean and Sam followed shortly after. Johnny walked the brothers to the door searching for the right words. None came.

"We'll stay for a few days. Sam needs the rest and I want to make sure nothing else goes on with Roy. I can't afford the gas or time of making any more trips," Dean stated. Sam was all ready half way to the car, yawning loudly. "You know my number."

"Thanks. If there's ever anything I can do. Just let me know." The offer seemed inadequate given what the men had done for him but it was all he had.

"I might take you up on that. Keep an eye on him." With that the elder Winchester sprinted down the stairs and joined his brother in the car. As they drove away in the black Impala, Johnny felt a spike of fear. What if he needed them again?

Heaving a huge sigh, Johnny closed the door and turned back to his partner. Roy was sound asleep on the couch. His face appeared so peaceful and innocent. Any doubts of his friend being any more than who he was vanished. Humming quietly, Johnny cleaned up the mess from supper and then settled into the chair beside the couch. _Better safe than sorry_, he thought as he prepared for a long night. Luckily one of his favourite movies was playing on the satellite station. One final glance at his friend and Johnny sank further into the chair and put his feet up on the coffee table. He was asleep before the introduction was through.


	3. Chapter 3

Epilogue

The night passed slowly. Johnny nodded off a few times but not for very long. Roy slept fitfully. Occasionally Johnny could hear him mumbling in his sleep, his face screwed up in pain or sometimes fear. When this happened the younger paramedic nearly held his breath until the episode passed.

Deep in the night, Johnny wondered about the girl that had caused all of this. Before Jon left he'd told Johnny that Bruce was taking her to the hospital to have her temporarily committed. Jon didn't know what story the younger CHP officer was going to tell the doctors but Johnny wasn't sure he really cared. So long as she got help. So long as she never got a chance to do this to Roy or anyone else again. She definitely had become interested in Sam. The thought sent a chill down Johnny's back.

He glanced at Roy's face in the dim light of the table lamp at the foot of the couch. It was so good to look at him and know that it was actually him. He supposed tomorrow or the next day he was going to have to contact Battalion and let them know that Roy was okay, that he was able to go back to work soon. Johnny wasn't sure how he was going to convince them that his partner was okay; that what happened had been a form of temporary insanity. Well, he would come up with something. If all else failed, he'd tell them the truth and let them chew on that.

The image of their reaction sent Johnny chuckling. He tried to stop, afraid of disturbing Roy, but he couldn't. The chuckles became harder, closer to outright laughs. The movement quickly reminded Johnny of what his body had so recently been through, awakening forgotten pains. He was forced to stop, stifling groans. Recovering quickly, he stood up and wandered into the bedroom. If he didn't keep moving he was going to fall asleep. He wasn't ready to do that just yet. There was still a subconscious fear that Roy would revert back to being possessed. Until he was completely satisfied that wasn't going to happen, Johnny wasn't going to take his eyes off his friend.

The Winchesters had cleaned the pentagram off the floor. For that Johnny was grateful. He still got the willies thinking of touching the blood the woman had used. The rest of the room, however, looked like a cyclone had gone through. Humming quietly to himself, Johnny began at the furthest corner and started to clean it up. Roy sleeping on the couch probably wasn't the best idea for more than tonight. He was going to need his bedroom back in order.

XXXXX

Two hours later, Johnny was trying to wrangle the mattress into the bedroom. The thing was a little heavy but mostly it was just cumbersome for one person to move. He managed it, ignoring the pain it caused his battered body, and settled it on top of the box spring. Giving in to the pain, he sank onto the mattress and sat a moment or two to catch his breath. He looked around while he rested. The room was as clean as he was going to get it. He hadn't been able to remember where everything went, he'd only been in Roy's bedroom twice, and so had put them where he figured they looked best. If it was wrong Roy was going to have to fix it later.

Johnny stood up, stretching cramped muscles gently. Wearily, he headed back to the living room to check on Roy. His partner was sleeping deeply. The nightmares appeared to have passed. For that Johnny was grateful as he settled himself back in the chair. The TV continued to glow, the volume turned down so as not to disturb Roy. Johnny knew he was tired but he shifted in the chair to get more comfortable before turning his attention back to the flickering screen.

XXXXX

Dimly, Johnny became aware of a knocking sound. That didn't make sense. He tried to think his way through the problem when he heard it again. It was then that he realized he'd fallen asleep. Forcing himself aware, he jumped up at the third knock and headed to the front door.

By the time he reached for the door handle, he was marginally more awake. Johnny couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep. Turning the handle he opened the door to find Mike Stoker standing there, looking a little apprehensive. "Hey, Mike. What're you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see the other man. Johnny was a little shaken up to realize it was daylight outside. He could see the bright midmorning sun over Mike's shoulder.

"Oh. Hi, Johnny," Mike said, surprise reflected on his face as well. He hadn't expected to have Johnny answer Roy's door, but then he supposed that made some sense. "I was looking for Roy. The whole department's looking for him still. I thought I'd take a chance and check here."

"Oh, no," Johnny breathed. He'd forgotten that everyone was still looking for his partner. Damn, he knew he should have gotten in touch with Captain Stanley last night. "Sorry. I forgot to call in. Roy's here but he's resting right now."

"Is he okay?" Mike asked, that apprehension back on his face. He remembered the way Roy had been at the fire. He knew something wasn't right.

"Yeah," Johnny replied, unsure how much to tell the other man. How much was he going to be willing to believe? "He's fine, just really tired."

"Should we be taking him to the hospital?" Mike asked. He wanted to trust Johnny but the events at the fire still had his nerves on edge.

"No," Johnny replied quickly. Perhaps too quickly from the suspicion that played across Mike's features. "Look, Mike, strange things have been going on but they're fixed now. Roy's fine, I'm fine, everything's fine." Johnny knew he was rambling but didn't know how to stop.

"Maybe you better tell me the whole story, Johnny," Mike said. Not usually a forceful person, Mike shouldered his way into the house. He had to know what all this was about. Quickly he glanced around the living room until his eyes came to rest on a still sleeping Roy.

"I don't know that you'll believe the whole story," Johnny replied as he followed the slightly shorter man into the living room. He had the presence of mind to shut the front door first.

"Try me," Mike stated. He turned to face his fellow firefighter. "I want to know what's going on."

Sighing, Johnny indicated the chair at the foot of the couch. When Mike sat down in it, Johnny sat on the edge of the coffee table so he could be close enough to talk quietly. He still didn't want to disturb Roy but he also wasn't currently brave enough to leave him alone in the room. "It's a long story," he began.

XXXXX

The room was silent except for Roy's deep breathing. Mike stared at Johnny for several heart beats as he decided whether the other man was telling him the truth. Johnny and Chet had the reputation for pulling jokes. Mike wanted to make sure this wasn't one of those times. The vulnerability in John's dark brown eyes convinced him that he had been telling the truth. At least, Johnny believed it to be true. Shaking his head, Mike examined the carpet for a few moments while he digested the whole tale. As farfetched as it all seemed, in Mike's heart he knew that it had all happened. He felt his world shift a little off center.

"So he's okay now?" Mike finally asked. Unconsciously, he glanced at Roy's sleeping form, as if he expected him to have two heads or a monster to burst out of his abdomen.

"That's what Sam and Dean think. I just wanted to wait a little longer before I contacted anyone from Battalion. Any more incidents like that last one and it won't matter if it was Roy or a demon, his career will be over. I can't let that happen," Johnny stated. Weary, he ran a hand through his dark brown hair. It seemed like it had been an eternity since they found Dean at the bottom of that cliff. He definitely felt a whole lot older.

"I agree. What do we do now?" Mike wanted to know.

"Wait?" Johnny supplied helpfully.

From his position on the couch, Roy had listened to the whole story. His head reeled with the implications of what Johnny had said. It was all he could do to continue the sham of being asleep, especially while Johnny described the exorcisms. Roy realized that there was an explanation for his exhaustion, even after several hours sleep. It also explained why his head had hurt so badly that day. Having a demon living in your mind was not exactly conducive to good health.

The terror and fear that his partner must have lived through worried Roy. Johnny was a sweet guy but not really all that stable in most senses. He was a little obsessive compulsive and had to be restrained on occasion. Roy appeared to have been out of commission for a while; he wasn't sure how the younger man had handled it. Maybe he didn't need Roy to act like his big brother all the time. That was a new thought for the older man. The thought both comforted him and disturbed him. _Oh, well, Junior had to grow up sometime._

"Is there anything to eat or drink or both?" Roy asked, startling both men. "I'm starving and thirsty."

"Sure, Roy. There should be some leftovers from last night, just give me a minute," Johnny replied upon recovering. Hastily, he stood up and went to the kitchen to raid the refrigerator.

"Hey, Mike. How are you doing?" Roy asked.

"Fine. How are you?" Mike responded. He looked at the older paramedic closely, anxious to see if his eyes glowed or anything else was untoward.

"Tired but I'll be ready to go back to work in a day or two. So far there doesn't seem to be any residual effects from the last few days." Roy could have laughed at the relieved expression on the brown haired man's face. It was almost comical in its sincerity. "Don't worry, Mike. It's really me."

"Thank God," Mike breathed. "That was all a little too strange. Captain Stanley and Battalion are going to have trouble swallowing it all."

"Yeah, they're not the only ones."

In the kitchen they could hear Johnny's cell phone ringing, followed by his voice as he answered it. They could only hear part of the conversation but it appeared to be with one of the Winchesters. He assured them that everything seemed to be all right, that Roy was hungry and thirsty. That seemed to satisfy whichever Winchester he was talking to because he thanked them for their help and disconnected the call. A few moments later they heard Johnny humming to himself as he warmed up the leftovers, as off key as ever. They looked at each other then laughed. At least some things didn't change.

THE END


End file.
